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A   HISTOKY  of  I 
e  Rev.  Charles  Meri 

Dr.  L.  SCHMlTZ^SUHOOITXBT.rDGirEN'i  or  hisi 

THIRLWA  LL'S  HISTORY  of  GREECE.    New  Edition.    12mo.  price  7s. 

Bishop  THIRLVVALL'S  HISTORY  of  GREECP:.     New" 
lAhrarp  Edition ;  with  Maps.    8  vols.  8vo.  606.— Or  in  8  vols.  fcp.  8vo.  28s. 
Colonel   W.   MURE'S    CRITICAL    HISTORY   of   the 

LANGUAGE  and  LITERATURE  of  ANCIENT  GREECE.    Recond  Edition. 
3  vols.  8V0.  :i6s.     Vol.  IV.  15s. 

BLAIR'S  CHRONOLOGICAL  and  HISTORICAL 
TABLES.  New  Edition,  extended  under  the  revision  of  Sir  H.  Ellis,  K.H. 
Iniperial  8vo.  price  3 is.  6d. 

The  Rev.  J  H.  HOWLETT'S  METRICAL  CHRONO- 
LOGY :  With  Historical  Notes  and  Questions.  Fifth  Edition,  with  Additions. 
PostSvo.  78. 

JAQUEMET'S  COxMPENDIUM  of  CHRONOLOGY, 
from  the  Creation  to  the  End  of  the  Year  1854.  Edited  by  the  Rev.  J. 
Alcorn,  M.A.    Post  8vo.  7s.  6d. 


London :   LONGMAN,  BROWN,  GBEEN,  and  LONGMANS. 


r: 


BRAZIL. 


BRAZIL 

VIEWED  THROUGH  A  NAVAL  GLASS 

KOTES  ON  SLAVERY  A]ST)  THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


BV 


EDWAED  W7LBEEF0ECE,    i^'bH^ 


(LATE  OF  H.  M.  NAVY.) 


Ijirp»>r  conirtellMtlon*  bnrnlnor,  mellow  moons,  and  hnppy  »V!e«, 
Breadthi  of  tropic  >had«,  and  palm*  in  cluster,  IcnoU  of  raradlto. 
Never  comet  the  trader,  never  floats  an  European  flag: 
Slides  the  bird  o'er  lattroos  woodland,  swings  the  trailer  from  the  era^: 
Droops  the  hearr-bloasom'd  bower,  hangs  the  heavy -fruited  tre*— 
glimmer  isles  of  Eden  lying  in  daik  porple  spheres  of  sea. 

TKicsrsos's  LoekiUy  Hatt. 


LONDON: 

LONGMAN,  BROWN,  GREEN,  AND  LONGMANS. 

1856. 


-Or? 


TO    A    YOUNG     LADY, 

AT  HEIl  OWN  BEQUEST. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/brazilviewedthroOOwilbrich 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

England  to  iladerra— English  spoken— The  Banana— Land  at  Fonchal 

In  a  Circus — Hotels  and  Horses— Mala  Vino  Lavere— Jesuitical 

— Komantic— What  St.  Peter's  Keys  Lock  up— Shops  and  Street* 
— At  Sea— Fljing  Fish— The  Portuguese  Nary— Among  the  Slave 
Ships 1- 

CHAPTER  IL 

Brazil,  Historical,  and  Touristical— Bio  as  It  Wm  Be— PJo  as  it  Is— 
3Ioantains,  Forts,  Beauties,  and  their  Drawbacks— "Wealth  and 
Health— Food — Brazilian  Diet  in  Town  and  Country    .        .        .21 


CHAPTER  IIL 

NaTal  Menu.-^&raztlian  Men^Kyf-War— The  Bertiogar-  Shore  Boats — 
Sketch  from  Life  of  a  Tradesman — Canoes — Feluccas — Sharks  and 
other  Denizens  of  the  Waters 32 


CHAPTER  rV. 

St.  Sebastian— The  Palace  Square— Pharonx— A  little  Freedom  and 
Enlightenment — Take  care  of  the  Pence — Pastrycooks— Scenes 
in  the  Palace  Square— Those  dear  Blacks— Who  keep  Shops 
in  Brazil— Feather  Flowers — A  Bird-Fancier— Gloria— Multos 
Castra  Jurant 42 


^Viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Bring  forth  the  Horse— Horses  and  Mules — Bon  "Whiskerando — Bota- 
nical Gardens— John  Bull  Abroad— Nearly  a  Shipwreck — Coffer- 
Dam—Repairing  Leaks— Braganza — The  Piratical  Nation    .        •    59 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Right  Honourable— Out  in  the  Country— A  little  Slavery— Washer- 
women—A  Beautiful  Situation — English  and  Foreign  Scenery — 
The  Corcovado — ^View  from  the  Summit— Appearance  of  a  Tiger 
—The  Aqueduct 71 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Bahia— Travelling  in  General— Parisian  Sights — The  Convent- 
Feather  Flowers— Live  Animals — Opera  House  and  Hotel— To 
the  Diggings  for  Beef— Guava  Jelly — A  Catamaran      .        •        .85 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

Rio  de  la  Plata— Monte  Video— Facts  for  Naval  Officers— Carved 
Ostrich  Eggs— Cardinals— The  Alliance         .....    98 

CHAPTER  IX. 

St.  Vincents — TJncivilisation— Come,  my  Lad,  and  drink  some  Beer ! — 
Billiards — Aspect  of  the  Island— St.  Antonio — The  Rover— A 
Court-Martial  .        .        .        , lOG 


CHAPTER  X. 

Cruising — Results  of  a  Capture— Georgi  Grego — Leaf  from  a  Middy's 
Note-Book— "Wood,  Fish,  and  Jungle— Parrots— The  Ocean, 
viewed  in  its  Poetical  Aspect 112 


CHAPTER  XL 

Marambya  —  Mangaratiba  —  A  Village  Shop  — Fortifications— Villa 
Grande — Bays  and  Headlands  —  Casatiba—Busios— Victoria— 
Porcos — Fish 121 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Ilha  Grande — Doa  Rios— The  Tentativa — Praya  Palmas — Andrea 
Smith — Canoeing — Lost  in  a  Wood— In  the  Water  Stream  flowing 
Bwiftly !— Unexpected  Kindness— Green  Coffee— A  Volunteer — 
Albroo— Custard  Apples— Lorega— Nautili— Geyser  Rock    .        .  129 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Casatiba,  or  Orange  Bay— A  Delegarde— An  Orange  Grove- Take  a 
Toon,  Pig !— Brazilian  Avarice — Singular  Effects  of  Brazilian 
Tobacco — A  Depot  for  Slaves— St  Sebastian — Portuguese  and 
Brazilian  Builders— Santos 149 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Port  Frio— Wreck  of  H.M.  S.  Thetis— The  Village  and  Fort— Cape  St. 
Thome— Odd  Fish— Whales— Coryphenes  not  Dolphins— Sharks  161 


CHAPTER  XV. 

River  and  Town  of  Espiritu  Santo— Legend— Fortifications— The  Old 
Town — What  is  Truth?— In  the  Country — Cotton  Hammocks — 
Shopkeepers — Festivities  from  Our  Own  Correspondent— Excel- 
sior!— Birds  of  many  Feathers— Slave  Vessels         .        .        .        .172 


CHAPTER  XVL 

Guarapari— Women  of  the  Country — Nee  Vox  Hominem  Sonat — The 
Cane — Benevente — Line  of  Coast — Piuma — Itabapoama — Itape- 
mirim — Assassination 189 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Boarding  Experiences— Regular  Slavers,  Sir!— Our  First  Prize— The 
Magano— Reasons  for  her  Capture— To  St.  Helena  and  Back — 
Second  Prize — On  the  Look-Out  for  more — Duchess  Anne— Barque 
laden  with  Wool 200 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Paaro 
Smugglers  and  Cutters— Slave  Trade  Laws — Lieutenant  Scaly — Hon- 
esty not  always  the  Best  Policy — Suffering  from  too  much  Health 
— jMidshipman's  Logic — Poor  Doctor ! 212 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Slavery— The  "Black  Fever* — "Ladies" — Morals  and  Education  of 
Negroes — What  the  Brazilians  Think  of  Us — Brazilian  Journalism 
—Our  Ambassadors— Power  of  the  Church  in  Brazil—Finis         .  221 


Appendix ♦       ...  22" 


PBEFACE. 


This  volume  contains  simply  an  account  of  what  I  saw 
on  the  Coast  of  Brazil.  It  is  necessarily  incomplete  and 
fragmentary ;  the  position  of  a  midshipman  being  such 
as  to  preclude  his  possessing  much  knowledge  of  the 
places  he  visits.  But,  such  as  it  is,  it  is  all  my  own, 
with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  passages,  for  which 
I  have  to  thank  a  gentleman,  whose  name  I  do  not 
publish,  as  the  officials  in  the  service  to  which  he  be- 
longs are  averse  to  any  appearance  in  print  on  the  part 
of  then:  subordinates.  While  endeavouring  to  tell  my 
story  in  an  amusing  manner,  I  have  interspersed  sundry 
practical  passages  relative  to  the  anchorages  and  bays 
on  the  coast,  which  may  be  of  use  to  captains  cruising 
in  those  parts. 

EDWAED  WILBEKFOKCE. 

28,  Oli>  Bcrlwgton  Sthezt, 
October  2. 1855. 


BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ENGLAND  TO  MADEIRA — ENGLISH  SPOKEN — THE  BANANA — LAND  AT 
FUNCHAL — IN  A  CIRCUS — HOTELS  AND  HORSES — MALA  VINO 
LAVERE — JESUITICAL — ROMANTIC — WHAT  ST.  PETER's  KEYS  LOCK 
UP — SHOPS  AND  STREETS — AT  SEA — FLYING  FISH — THE  PORTU- 
GUESE NAVY — AMONG  THE  SLAVE  SHIPS. 

We  left  Endand  in  November.  The  state  of  our 
favoured  country  at  that  time  was  such  as  I  need  hardly 
describe.  Imagine  a  general  dreariness — plenty  of  mists 
and  rain,  as  a  sort  of  preparation  to  make  us  ready  to 
receive  snow  with  resignation — blank  days,  as  dull  as  an 
epic,  or  the  hour  of  study  in  a  large  school-room — ■ 
faded  leaves,  sunsets,  and  thick  shawls ;  and  you  have 
before  you  the  aspect  of  England  on  our  departure  for 
warmer  climates.  We  had  remained  long  in  Plymouth 
waiting  for  orders,  in  that  fearful  state  of  naval  uncer- 
tainty which  puts  a  stop  to  leave,  and,  by  cooping  you 
up  in  your  ship,  gives  you  a  foretaste  of  the  miseries 
that  are  to  come.  At  last  we  got  our  orders,  and  were 
off  to  sea — away  from  the  Lizard  light  appearing  indis- 


2  BRAZIL. 

tinctly  through  the  fog,  across  the  now  quiet  Bay  of 
Biscay,  past  Cape  Finisterre,  we  steamed  perse veringly, 
and  after  a  five  days'  passage  caught  sight  of  Madeira, 
rising  abruptly  before  us,  like  the  giant  out  of  the  sealed 
bottle  in  the  Arabian  nights.  At  8  in  the  morning,  as 
the  captain  came  on  deck,  a  breeze  sprang  up,  and  we 
sighted  the  island  of  Porto  Santo.  Such  are  the  effects 
of  a  captain's  appearance  on  the  companion  ladder !  At 
4  p.m.,  as  I  stepped  on  deck  to  ^*  resume  my  chains"  (in 
the  words  of  Falconer)  we  were  flying  past  Brazenhead, 
the  eastern  point  of  Madeira.  The  cliff  at  this  point  is 
high  and  rugged,  and  the  different  strata  are  marked 
with  wonderful  distinctness.  I  find  my  journal  calls  it 
a  sort  of  limestone — not  that  I  knew  any  thing  about  the 
matter;  but  wishing  to  pass  off  for  a  person  scientific  in 
these  respects,  I  entered  it  as  such  with  due  boldness. 
Passing,  however,  the  question  whether  it  was  lime- 
stone or  not,  I  may  remark  that  its  appearance  was  very 
much  that  of  a  geological  map,  where  the  different  strata 
are  painted.  We  ran  quickly  under  the  shade  of  the 
.island,  its  high  mountains  frowning  upon  us,  alternated 
by  green  valleys  sloping  down  to  the  sea,  and  dotted 
with  white  villas,  till  we  cast  anchor  in  the  bay  of 
Funchal.  The  water  was  smooth,  except  close  to  the 
beach,  where  it  swelled  into  surf,  and  dashed  against 
the  wall   of  shingle  and  pebbles  with   a  fierce  roar. 


ENGLISH  SPOKEN.  3 

rustling  among  them  hoarsely  as  it  withdrew  its  waves. 
The  town  stood  at  the  back  of  the  beach,  and  above 
rose  the  mountain,  clad  with  nodding  groves,  from 
which  peeped  forth  little  cottages  in  all  directions.  Our 
steamer  anchored  close  to  the  Loo  Rock,  and  when  we 
had  received  pratique,  an  inundation  of  shore  boats 
followed,  the  vice-consul  leading  them.  Washerwomen, 
hotel-keepers,  and  bumboatmen  flocked  alongside  to 
solicit  our  orders.  We  retained  one,  named  Sarsfield, 
for  the  midshipmen's  berth,  and  found  no  reason  to  re- 
pent our  choice.  Most  of  these  people  spoke  English 
tolerably,  but  one  who  was  not  well  up  in  the  language 
was  sadly  badgered  by  the  *^  young  gentlemen." 

"  What  have  you  got  ?"  was  the  preliminary  question. 

**  Tomorr  I  Toraorr !  every  ting  tomorr  I"  was  the  only 
answer,  delivered  in  a  tone  of  despairing  earnestness. 
Then  when  he  was  asked  about  sundry  articles  that 
were  quite  strange  to  him,  for  fear  of  losing  our  custom, 
and  his  own  importance,  he  answered  rashly, 

"  Any  eels'  feet?"  cried  one. 

"  Eels'  feet !  ver  fine !  tomorr !" 

"Any  pigeon's  milk?"  continued  another,  to  keep  up 
the  badfrerinor. 

"Pijin  smilk!  verfine !  tomorr  I"  and  so  on  for  every 
article  required ;  so  that,  if  we  had  asked  for  a  dozen 
Houyhnhnms,  or  any  other  outlandish  thing,  we  should 


BRAZIL. 


have  been  promised  them  on  the  morrow,  through  the 
man's  ignorance  of  English.  I  remember  an  old  quarter- 
master whom  we  were  always  teazing  in  the  same 
manner,  who  showed  more  judiciousness  in  his  answers. 
On  being  asked  how  he  would  relish  a  good  dish  of 
ampelonorums  stewed  in  their  skins,  and  a  glass  of 
grog,  he  would  invariably  reply;  "Ah,  sir,  a  glass  of 
grog's  a  good  thing  1" 

Next  day  one  of  the  regular  bumboats  came  off,  and 
I  tasted  my  first  banana.  This  fruit  is  one  that  does 
not  much  please  your  palate  at  the  first  trial,  but 
gradually  wins  a  way  to  your  heart.  In  fact,  it  is  too 
rich,  and  apt  to  disagree  with  one  unaccustomed  to  its 
flavour.  The  plant  is  cruciferous,  and  whenever  it  is 
cut  open,  the  form  of  the  cross  appears  inside.  If  you 
cut  a  banana  therefore  in  the  presence  of  a  Portuguese, 
he  will  take  it  as  a  mortal  insult,  and  will  most  probably 
stab  you,  considering  your  deed  to  be  an  insult  against 
the  cross  and  his  religion,  and  thinking  of  course  that 
cutting  a  fruit  open  must  be  infinitely  more  criminal  in 
the  eyes  of  God,  than  cutting  open  a  human  being.  The 
banana  is  the  most  generally  useful  fruit  in  tropical 
climates;  they  can  no  more  dispense  with  it  there,  than 
we  could  with  potatoes.  It  is  eaten  uncooked  as  a  fruit, 
when  ripe ;  when  immature,  it  is  cooked  and  used  as  a 
vegetable.    Moreover,  that    vilest   of   all    drinks,  the 


LAND  AT  MADEIRA. 


Brazilian  aqua  ardente,  is  produced  from  it,  just  as  most 
good  things  give  rise  to  evil.  ♦ 

At  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  seven  members  of 
the  midshipmen's  berth,  including  "the  writer  of  these 
pages  "  started  for  the  shore.  The  shore-boats  are  large, 
commodious,  and  swift.  The  boatmen  pull  towards 
the  shore  in  a  natural  manner,  then,  on  coming  close, 
they  suddenly  slue  the  boat  round  in  an  unnatural 
manner,  that  always  causes  wonder  among  new-comers, 
and  back  in  stem  foremost.  Other  men  are  waiting  on 
the  beach,  and,  as  soon  as  the  keel  grates  on  the  shingle, 
the  boat  is  seized  on  all  sides  and  dragged  up  the  steep 
beach,  till  perfectly  high  and  dry.  Such  at  least  is  the 
case  on  a  smooth  day,  and  I  never  was  a  witness  of 
any  thing  approaching  to  bad  weather  in  this  island. 
But  any  one  seeing  the  broken  fragments  of  the  pier, 
against  which  some  surf  is  always  beating  viciously, 
would  conclude  that  the  bay  is  sometimes  very  rough; 
and  indeed  only  steamers  can  dare  to  anchor  so  close  to 
the  shore  as  we  did,  for  gales  come  on  in  the  most  sudden 
manner,  and  the  bay  of  Funchal  is  too  much  open  to  be 
a  very  safe  anchorage. 

Immediately  on  landing,  we  were  assailed  by  mer- 
chants of  every  sort,  poking  their  wares  into  our  faces, 
and  yelling  out  all  the  facts  connected  with  them. 
New  dangers  awaited  us  at  every  step.     Some  person 


6  BRAZIL. 

asked  if  we  wanted  horses,  and  on  being  answered  in 
the  usual  naval  way,  "  Yes,  a  dozen  I"  rushed  off  to  pro- 
cure us  that  number.  The  danger  of  exaggerating  facts 
with  plain  people  was  instantly  demonstrated  to  us ;  for 
as  we  entered  upon  an  avenue  that  led  up  to  the  town, 
where  the  branches  arched  over  our  head,  forming  a 
most  beautiful  porch  in  this  exquisite  island,  we  were 
assailed  and  surrounded  by  a  host  of  wild  horses, 
bestrodden  by  wilder  riders.  We  had  required  a  dozen 
horses,  but  here  were  three  dozen  at  a  very  moderate 
computation.  Here  we  were,  hemmed  in  on  all  sides, 
while  the  horses  were  flitting  about  like  shadows  of 
a  substantial  nature.  In  fact  the  scene  reminded  me 
of  a  "  prairie  by  night"  in  one  of  Lever's  novels,  where  a 
solitary  horseman  is  depicted  in  an  arena  of  bulls.  But 
the  bulls  could  not  have  bellowed  louder  than  these 
horsemen,  who  enforced  their  claims,  or  rather  the 
claims  of  self  and  partner,  upon  us  in  a  most  ambitious 
manner,  concluding  that  we  had  selected  their  animals 
without  speaking,  as  the  young  gentleman,  in  Garrick's 
farce  of  '*  The  Guardian,"  considered  was  the  case  with 
respect  to  his  mistress.  Thus  ran  the  tenor — if  I  wanted 
to  make  a  pun,  I  should  say  the  bass — of  their  discourse. 
'*  Dis  my  pony  for  you,  sare ! "  as  if  you  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  riding  the  animal  specified  for  five-and- 
twenty  years. 


HOTELS  AND  HORSES.  T 

*'  Try  dis  horse,  sare  I " 

*' Very  fine,  dis  un!" 

"  Senor  officare,  I  brought  you  mi/  pony,  he  do  nicely 
for  you,  sare;  he  not  too  big!"  You  may  be  sure  the  last 
candidate  remained  unemployed  I  But  here  we  stuck 
for  ten  minutes  or  so,  perfectly  unable  to  move.  The 
riders  were  still  dashing  about,  clattering  on  the  pave- 
ment, so  as  to  make  us  turn  sharply  round,  and  see  that 
the  pony  galloping  up  behind  us,  did  not  come  a  little 
too  far.  But  as  all  things  mortal  must  come  to  an  end 
sooner  or  later — except  Alexandre  Dumas's  novels — we 
at  last  got  away,  and  went  to  the  Hotel  I'Europe,  kept 
by  Joseph  Giudetti,  nearly  opposite  to  the  custom 
house — a  decentish  place  apparently,  though  F pre- 
ferred  an   English   hotel    nearer    the    Market    Place, 

because  "there  were  some pretty  chambermaids 

there."  At  the  hotel  we  had  some  real  Madeira  wine, 
and  inspected  sundry  ^'curios."  We  bought  some  sticks, 
which  are  handsome,  cheap,  and  of  all  sorts. 

'•  From  the  knobbed  bludgeon  to  the  taper  switch," 

some  chains,  most  ingeniously  manufactured  of  horse 
hair,  and  some  skull  caps,  with  a  peak  rising  out  of  the 
summit.  We  then  went  forth  to  mount,  and  to  undergo 
an  immense  amount  of  squabbling  during  the  selection 
of  our  horses.     Next,  we  were  stopped  like  John  Gilpin, 


BRAZIL. 


when  almost  in  the  saddle,  that  we  might  pay  the  boat- 
man a  most  unreasonable  sum^  tenpence  each,  namely ; 
so  that,  for  rowing  seven  individuals  a  very  short  dis- 
tance, the  boatman  would  receive  five  shillings  ! 

But  at  last  we  got  off.  We  galloped  straight  up  a 
perpendicular  hill,  wondering  at  our  horse's  agility  when 
we  looked  back  and  saw  the  steepness  of  the  ascent. 
We  made  at  first  for  a  church  very  conspicuously  placed 
half-way  up  the  hill,  that  has  been  called,  time  out 
of  mind,  "The  Convent,"  though  why  it  should  bear 
such  a  name  I  know  not,  especially  as  Captain  Basil  Hall 
has  shown  that  it  has  no  pretensions  to  that  name,  in  his 
very  interesting  Fragments  of  Voyages  and  Travels,  The 
horse  on  which  I  was  mounted  required  much  correction, 
and  I  found  that  the  light  cane  I  had  bought  in  the 
town  was  of  very  little  use,  as  it  evanished  into  thin  air 
after  one  or  two  blows ;  consequently  I  took  in  exchange 
a  rougher  and  more  serviceable  weapon  from  the  hands 
of  my  attendant.  These  attendants  follow  you  wher- 
ever you  go,  with  the  persevering  of  a  Mephistopheles, 
holding  to  the  tails  of  the  horses,  and  keeping  up  at  the 
swiftest  gallop,  without  showing  any  signs  of  weariness. 
We  passed  several  small  cottages  on  our  way  up  the 
hill,  embowered  in  small  private  paradises  of  grapes, 
black  bunches  of  which  hung  heavily  from  the  boughs, 
which  in  other  places  were  laden  with  figs,  or  fresh  green 


KALA  VINO  LAVERE.  tf 

leaves,  from  which  pretty  young  maidens  peeped  forth 
less  frequently  than  we  might  have  expected.  At  last 
we  reached  the  church,  which  was  evidently  visited  by 
every  traveller,  from  the  circumstance  of  there  being  a 
wine-shop  close  at  hand.  Hither  our  guides  led  us  before 
they  would  suffer  our  approach  to  the  church,  that  had 
to  be  reached  by  two  or  three  flights  of  stone  steps. 
We  were  at  once  made  cognisant  of  the  fact  that  the 
wine  here  was  "ver  good."  The  vin  ordinaire  was 
cheap  enough,  ranging  from  tenpence  to  one  and  eight- 
pence  per  bottle.  There  were,  however,  mysterious 
whispers  about  some  of  a  peculiarly  generous  kind  that 
had  been  kept  for  many  years  in  the  cellars,  and  was 
\alued  at  a  fabulous  price.  One  of  the  guides  had  sus- 
tained an  injury  in  his  foot  from  a  horse's  hoof,  and  the 
remedy  he  adopted  was  one  apparently  stranger  than  It 
was  efficacious,  and  one  Venusind  digna  lucernd.  He 
drank  a  glass  of  wine,  pointing  at  the  same  time  to  the 
wound  with  one  finger.  Having  mounted  the  steps  in 
front  of  the  church,  we  gazed  at  it  from  the  outside  till 
a  head  appeared  from  one  of  the  doors,  followed  by  a 
hand  that  beckoned  us  in. 

"Quanto?''  said  we,  concisely. 

"  Nothing,  senor,"  replied  the  man,  bowing ;  and  he 
then  showed  us  over  the  church,  which  was  just  like  all 
other  Roman  Catholic  churches,  very  well  known  to 


10  BRAZIL. 

most  Englislimen,  and  too  well  to  some.  But  the 
guide  proved  perfidious,  and  in  fact  a  Jesuit ;  for,  after 
promising  to  show  us  over  for  nothing,  he  asked  for 
money  at  the  end.     This  we  could  not  abide. 

"  Tcinpus  erat  vim  parare, 
Nefas  hoc  non  possum  stare," 

one  might  have  said,  if  the  Press  newspaper  had  been 
started  at  that  time,  and  if  sundry  other  events  had  also 
taken  place. 

We  rode  on  again  in  high  indignation.  Captain 
Basil  Hall,  of  whose  "Fragments"  I  have  just  made 
honourable  mention,  complains  that  the  Portuguese 
attendants  would  not  suffer  him  to  slacken  his  horse's 
pace  as  much  as  he  desired.  We  did  not  find  this 
objection  apply  to  our  followers,  who  would  not  let  us 
go  as  fast  by  any  means  as  we  wished.  But  then, 
you  know,  midshipmen  are  proverbially  hard  riders, 
having  no  necks  to  be  broken;  whereas  a  captain,  if 
hurled  over  a  precipice,  would  cause  a  vacancy,  from 
which  captains  are  somewhat  averse.  As  we  were  going 
at  a  rapid  rate  up  hill  and  down  dale,  my  attendant 
became  somewhat  fatigued,  pulled  up  my  horse,  and 
let  the  others  shoot  ahead.  In  vain  did  I  remonstrate, 
and  rap  his  knuckles  with  all  the  energy  of  a  spirit- 
rapper — he  could  not  feel,  and  would  have  kept  me  for 
ever  had  I  not  been  liberated  by  a  happy  accident. 


R0MA2fTIC.  11 

He  spied  a  horseshoe  on  the  ground.  With  a  shrill  yell 
he  dropped  to  pick  it  up,  and  my  horse,  released,  set  off' 
at  a  gallop.  He  raised  a  hullabaloo  after  me  witlioiit 
any  effect,  and  had  to  "  take  the  change  "  out  of  the 
horse  when  he  came  up,  by  checking  him  suddenly  and 
capriciously  every  five  minutes.  Riding  through  a  small 
patch  of  forest  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  we  came  to  a 
romantic  ravine  crossed  by  a  wooden  bridge,  under 
which  a  small  streamlet  was  trickling.  Here  I  dis- 
mounted to  pick  some  pouting  blackberries,  and  to  gaze 
on  a  view  of  such  beauty  that  I  found  it  necessary  to 
explode  into  verse,  though  very  blank, 

TO ,  OX  SEEING  A  VIEW  IN  THE  ISLAND  OF , 

THE  _  DAY  OF ,  18—, 

BY ,  ESQ., 

OF  RiLS 

I  stopp'd  my  horse  upon  a  giddy  height 
That  looks  upon  thy  waters,  fair  Funchal, 
Calm  as  a  mirror,  with  the  noonday  sun 
Reflected  on  their  surface,  where  the  ship, 
That  from  Old  England  had  convey'd  me  here, 
Swam  like  a  feather  on  the  waveless  main. 
Beneath  me  lay  the  town,  its  houses  white, 
Half  hidden,  half  appearing  from  a  grove 
Of  orange-trees ;  while  close  beneath  our  feet 
Yawn'd  a  ravine,  through  which,  with  headlong  pace, 
A  mountain  torrent  gush'd,  and  joyous  leap'd 
From  rock  to  rock  adown  the  dark  ravine, 
Exulting  in  its  strength. 


12  BRAZIL. 

After  this  we  came  to  a  most  perilous  descent,  the 
ground  having  been  roughed  apparently,  or  as  if  the 
sea  was  frozen  in  a  state  of  ripples.  The  horses  had  to 
hop  like  flies  in  a  sugar  basin.  But  when  this  bit  was 
passed  we  resumed  our  reckless  gallop,  and  really,  as  we 
flew  along  the  narrow  paths,  where  another  horse  pass- 
ing would  have  caused  a  very  precipitate  descent  on 
the  part  of  "  some  one,"  as  a  tutor  of  mine  used  to  say 
in  translating  a  Greek  passage  that  every  one  else  but 
himself  could  understand,  and  darted  round  sharp  turns, 
not  knowing  whether  a  precipice  or  another  party  of 
riders  might  not  stare  you  in  the  face,  it  was  rather 
ticklish  work.  Galloping  down  a  paved  causeway,  we 
came  to  a  house,  in  front  of  which  dangled  a  board  that 
had  once  boasted  some  pictorial  design,  but  on  which 
were  only  now  traceable  the  words  Bon  Vin.  Here  the 
same  formula,  ut  ante,  had  to  be  gone  through  with  the 
guides;  that  is,  they  had,  in  Yankee  parlance,  to  be 
liquored  all  round.  The  wine-shop  was  prettily  situated 
on  a  slope,  with  trees  all  around;  and,  while  the  guides 
were  drinking,  we  picked  nuts  from  the  boughs  within 
reach.  And  then  again  we  went  towards  the  town.  On 
coming  to  the  entrance  we  formed  in  a  line  abreast,  and 
charged  at  full  gallop  down  the  steep  street,  making  the 
wonderstruck  populace  fly  right  and  left.  The  "  vox 
populi"  was  for  the  moment  a  squall;  so  that  if  it  is 


ST.  PETERS  KEYS.  13 

actually  "  vox  dei,"  as  the  absurd  saying  has  it,  the  har- 
mony of  the  tones  of  the  Portuguese  deity  can  scarcely 
be  much  commended.  On  arriving  in  the  town,  we  went 
to  the  bond  Jide  nunnery,  situated  at  the  west  end. 
This  place  is  commemorated  by  Henry  Nelson  Coleridge, 
in  his  "  Six  Months  in  the  West  Indies,"  as  the  scene  of 
a  very  pathetic  incident.  On  coming  to  the  waiting- 
room,  we  asked  for  feather  flowers.  A  fat  nun  came 
to  the  grating,  and  had  a  short  jabber — excuse  the 
word,  gentle  reader;  it  is  the  only  one  that  expresses 
Portuguese  talk  naturally,  with  the  guides.  Then 
came  a  lean  withered  old  nun,  with  a  face  like  one  of 
those  unfortunate  apples  that  come  to  dessert  every  day 
for  six  weeks,  and  go  back  from  the  room  untouched, 
tollowing  the  fat  one,  like  the  lean  kine  in  Pharaoh's 
dream.  Then  the  flowers  came,  handed  through  the 
turning  doors.  Here  ceased  the  romance  of  the  con- 
vent, the  flowers  being  discovered  to  be  exceedingly 
dear;  so  much  so  that  we  rushed  out  suddenly,  leav- 
ing the  guides  to  hand  back  the  rejected  wreaths,  and 
to  pacify  the  nuns.  Next  we  had  to  satisfy  the  horse- 
dealers  themselves,  whose  rapacity  knew  no  bounds. 
After  that  we  went  to  dinner,  where  the  chief 
delicacies  were  the  fruits  produced  at  dessert,  all  of 
which  were  new  to  my  palate.  There  were  rich  stores 
of  the  yellowest  bananas,  with  their  soft  luscious  pulp 


14  BRAZIL. 

within,  and  the  sweeter  guavas  with  many  seeds,  whose 
interior  was  pervaded  by  a  soft  red  tint.  And  then 
we  had  more  Madeira  wine,  at  a  charge  not  very 
high.  "  Dinner  for  seven  gentlemen,"  I  find  from  the 
bill,  amounted  to  seven  dollars — four  shillings  and  two- 
pence ahead.  But  some  clay  pipes  were  the  dearest 
articles  by  far,  for  five  of  them  cost  two  shillino-s. 

Duty  now  demanded  our  presence  on  board,  but 
before  returning  we  took  a  rapid  survey  of  the  nearest 
shops.  The  master  of  the  hotel  has  a  small  shop  op- 
posite to  his  hostelry,  where  most  articles  of  Madeira 
manufacture  can  be  purchased.  There  were  feather 
flowers,  much  cheaper  than  those  at  the  convent,  and 
scarcely  at  all  inferior.  The  sticks  and  horsehair  chairs 
are  hardly  so  good  as  those  you  get  from  the  itinerant 
merchants.  There  are  English  shops  too  in  the  island : 
drapers  of  the  same  class  as  those  in  our  native  land  of 
the  Tagrag  and  Titmouse  stamp,  with  well-whiskered 
attendants  behind  the  counter,  who  will  pull  half  the 
shop  down  to  oblige  a  lady.  In  another  street  we 
lighted  on  a  pretty  little  shop  where  they  sold  wooden 
manufactures,  rulers,  paper-cutters,  and  work-boxes. 
The  rulers  and  paper-cutters  are  of  exquisite  workman- 
ship, wood  of  different  colours,  being  most  tastefully 
inlaid  in  the  mosaic  fashion.  The  work-boxes  and 
writing-desks  are  also  worth  inspection,   being  much 


SHOPS  AND  STREETS.  15 

like   those   you  get  at  Sorrento,  in  tlie  house  where 
Torquato  Tasso  was  born. 

Let  us  take  a  brief  view  of  one  of  the  streets  in  Fun- 
chal.  It  is  remarkably  clean,  wonderfully  so  for  a 
foreign  place,  and  also  tidy.  This  is  greatly  owing  to 
the  steepness  of  the  streets,  all  water  running  down  of 
itself.  Here  comes  a  sort  of  sledge  drawn  by  two  oxen, 
and  bearing  within  two  ladies,  whom  you  can  speedily 
discover  to  be  Englishwomen.  Then  a  Portuguese  lady 
walks  by,  the  beauty  of  her  complexion  testifying  to  the 
care  bestowed  upon  it : — then  a  fierce  sound  of  hoofs,, 
and  a  general  alarm  on  the  part  of  all  in  the  street,  witli 
a  general  rush  to  the  shops.  Half  a  dozen  midshipmen 
come  clattering  by,  with  half  a  dozen  guides  shrieking 
in  the  rear,  and  clutching  wildly  at  the  tails  of  the 
horses. 

Then  come  two  porters  with  a  pole  on  their  shoulders ; 
from  the  pole  swings  a  hammock,  of  fantastic  colours, 
wherein  an  invalid  reposes,  reading  the  last  new  novel, 
and  thinking  it  remarkably  stupid. 

The  foot-passengers  next  appear.  Irreproachably 
dressed  dandies,  revelling  in  all  the  glories  of  a  tight  fit, 
and  the  consciousness  that  from  the  tips  of  their  flash- 
ing boots  to  the  crown  of  their  hat,  not  omitting  their 
oiled   mustaches,   they   are   equally   faultless — that  is, 

outside,  I  don't  speak  for  the  inside — come  in  the  same 

c 


\6  BRAZIL. 

line  with  the  Portuguese,  in  his  undress  and  light 
summer  clothing,  with  the  red  peak  sticking  up  from 
the  top  of  his  cap.  I  may  mention,  en  passant,  as  a 
singular  fact,  that  nearly  all  the  land  in  Madeira  is  the 
property  of  Englishmen,  chiefly  merchants,  so  that  the 
Portuguese  possession  is  merely  nominal. 

The  currency  here  consists  of  dollars,  pistareens,  and 
bits ;  a  dollar  is  4s.  '2d.j  equal  also  to  1000  reis — a  pis- 
tareen  is  lOd.j  and  a  bit,  or  half-pistareen,  hd.  English 
money  can  always  be  changed  here  at  its  full  value,  an 
advantage  not  to  be  met  with  in  many  foreign  countries, 
whose  people  have  vulgar  prejudices  against  changing 
English  money,  save  at  a  great  loss  to  the  owners. 

We  left  Madeira  in  the  evening  of  the  day,  whose 
proceedings  I  have  just  described.  We  steamed  on  all 
night,  and  in  the  morning,  having  gained  an  offing, 
and  being  attended  by  a  fair  breeze,  we  disconnected 
the  engines,  and  made  sail.  Finding,  however,  that  the 
ship  did  not  go  fast  enough  then,  we  unshipped  the 
floats,  so  that  the  wheels  oflfered  very  little  resistance  to 
the  water.  The  first  sign  we  had  of  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Equator  was  the  appearance  of  the  flying  fishes. 
We  saw  small  shoals  of  them  glide  past,  bright  glitter- 
ing little  objects,  skipping  from  one  wave's  crest,  and 
taking  shelter  under  the  next,  only  to  emerge  again 
with  greater  activity.     Their  scales  flashed  so  brightly 


ALONE  OK  THE  WIDE,  WIDE  SEA.  IT 

in  the  sun  that  they  resembled  pieces  of  silver,  as  if 
some  sportive  breeze  w^as  playing  duck-and-drake  with 
flat  thin  coins  of  that  metal.  I  may  be  allowed  to 
quote  Moore*8  poem  on  the  subject  here.  It  is  not  so 
well  known  as  his  other  poems,  and  is  pretty  enough  to 
deserve  quotation. 

TO  THE  FLYING  FISH. 

When  I  have  seen  thy  snow-white  wing 
From  the  blue  wave  at  evening  spring, 
And  show  those  scales  of  silvery  white 
So  gaily  to  the  eye  of  light. 
As  if  thy  frame  were  form'd  to  rise 
And  live  amid  the  glorious  skies  j 
Oh !  it  has  made  me  proudly  feel 
How  like  thy  wing's  impatient  zeal 
Is  the  pure  soul,  that  rests  not  pent 
"Within  this  world's  gross  element, 
But  takes  the  wing  that  God  has  given, 
And  rises  into  light  and  heaven ! 
But  when  I  see  that  wing  so  bright. 
Grow  languid  with  a  moment's  flight, 
Attempt  the  paths  of  air  in  vain, 
And  sink  into  the  waves  again; 
Alas!  the  flattering  pride  is  o'er; 
Like  thcc,  awhile  the  soul  may  soar, 
But  erring  man  must  blush  to  think 
Like  thee,  again  the  soul  may  sink. 

It  is  a  common  mistake  to  suppose  that  flying-fish 
never  rise  out  of  the  water  unless  pursued  by  a  large 
enemy.  This  notion  evidently  arises  from  the  sight  of 
pictures    representing    the    unfortunate    little   animals 


18  BRAZIL. 

skipping  away  with  a  dolphin  after  them,  and  with  birds 
above  them.  You  might  as  well  think  that  boys  never 
run  without  having  a  mad  bull  at  their  heels.  We 
caught  two  of  these  fish  one  evening.  If  at  night  a 
lantern  is  held  out  of  one  of  the  ports,  these  fish  immedi- 
ately flock  to  it,  and  will  even  fly  on  board  in  their  eager- 
ness to  near  it. 

From  Madeira  we  ran  with  tolerably  steady  winds, 
till  we  were  into  6°  north  latitude,  where  the  Trades 
deserted  us,  leaving  us  to  the  tender  mercy  of  the  horse 
latitudes.  We  now  shipped  the  floats  again,  and 
steamed  the  rest  of  the  way.  On  the  same  day  we 
captured  a  hawk  that  had  for  some  time  been  hovering 
about  the  masts.  Round  its  neck  a  ticket  was  fastened, 
on  one  side  of  which  was  written,  "William  Slater, 
Waterman,  Leghorn,"  and  on  the  other,  "  Ship  Isabel, 
Lat.  10°  N.  Long.  23°  30'  W.  November."  A  blank 
was  left  here,  the  rest  of  the  writing  having  been 
picked  off  by  the  bird,  that  was  very  hungry  when 
caught.  If  the  latitude  and  longitude  were  correctly 
stated,  it  n^ust  have  flown  a  long  distance  without  food. 
As  we  passed  through  the  tropical  regions  at  night,  the 
sea  was  quite  luminous  around.  The  ship  left  a  track 
of  light  behind,  in  which  every  moment  a  stronger  glare 
of  the  blubber-fish  was  as  distinctly  seen,  as  would  be 
the  small  invisible  insects  in  water,  under  a  microscope. 


THE  rORTUOUESE  NAVY.  19 

By  day  the  sea  was  frequently  covered  with  fish  of 
the  Nautilus  species,  and  that  especially  with  pink  sails, 
known  as  the  Portuguese  man-of-war. 

One  morning  as  we  were  nearing  the  Brazils,  and 
got  into  a  state  of  mind  that  might  be  called  chronic 
excitement,  relative  to  the  slave  vessels  we  expected  a 
constant  view  of,  a  sail  was  descried  ahead.  Glasses 
were  at  once  in  use,  from  the  captain's  longest  to  the 
midshipman's  shortest,  while  two  middies  were  perched 
on  the  foreyard  to  make  her  out.  Bulletins  were  sent 
down  every  instant  to  those  below.  She  is  steering  the 
same  way  as  we  are.  She  has  borne  up,  and  is  making 
all  sail.  She  is  steering  towards  us.  Minds  vibrated 
between  certainty  and  doubt,  from  the  *'  Oh  I  she's 
nothing  after  all  !'*  to  the  "  By  Jove !  she  must  be  some- 
thing then !"  For,  of  course,  if  she  was  honest,  she 
would  be  nothing  to  speak  of.  On  coming  close,  she 
hoisted  English  colours,  but,  having  no  Englishmen  to 
answer  our  hail,  was  ordered  to  heave  to.  She  was 
then  boarded,  as  vessels  are  not  allowed  to  carry  the 
Enorlish  flas:  without  having]:  at  least  two  Englishmen  on 
board.  The  captain  said  there  were  one  or  two  sus- 
picious circumstances  connected  with  her,  but  not 
enough  to  warrant  her  detention.  She  was  the  English 
schooner  *^  Fanny  "  from  Bahia  to  Gibraltar,  laden  with 
coffee. 


20  BRAZIL. 

The  next  vessel  that  we  saw  was  right  ahead  cruising 
about,  and,  as  we  came  near,  she  tacked.  This  was 
declared  a  very  "  suspicious  act "  and  besides  she  had  a 
lookout-man  at  each  masthead,  which  custom,  it  is  well 
known,  is  never  adopted  by  honest  vessels.  When  we 
came  up  and  hailed-  her,  she  replied  that  she  was  an 
American  whaler,  three  months  at  sea.  It  was  then 
suggested  that  the  mast-head  men  might  be  looking  out 
for  whales ;  but  this  was  strongly  negatived  by  those 
who  had  been  on  this  coast  before.  One  of  them  proved 
logically  that  this  vessel  must  be  a  slaver,  because  when 
he  was  off  Cape  Frio,  in  H.  M.  S.  Bender,  he  fell  in 
with  a  whaler  that  stated  itself  to  be  in  a  bad  way  for 
provisions.  The  Bender  supplied  her  with  some. 
"  Next  morning,  sir,  she  was  in,  and  landed  800  slaves, 
by  G — !"  This  was  concluded  by  a  toss  of  the  head, 
and  an  imperious  curl  of  the  lip,  that  could  not  help 
enforcmg  upon  every  one  a  conviction  of  its  truth. 

On  the  10th  of  December  we  saw  the  land  about  Cape 
Frio,  and  in  the  evening  anchored  in  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
after  a  passage  of  twenty-seven  days.  The  name  of  this 
harbour  signifies  River  of  January,  having  been  disco- 
vered on  the  1st  of  January  by  Martin  Affonso  do  Souza. 


BRAZIL,  HISTORICAL.  21 


CHAPTER   11. 

BRAZIL,  HISTORICAL,  AND  TOURISTICAL — RIO  AS  IT  WILL  BE — RIO  AS 
IT  IS — MOUNTAINS,  FORTS,  BEAUTIES,  AND  THEIR  DRAWBACKS — 
WEALTH  AND  HEALTH — ^FOOD — BRAZILIAN  DIET  IN  TOWN  AND 
COUNTRY. 

Brazil,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  is  almost  a  terrain-' 
cognita  to  that  adventurous  class,  the  fireside  tourists. 
Those  who  visit  Asia,  Africa,  and  north  America  in 
their  easy-chairs  without  the  slightest  upset,  make  a 
rapid  transition  from  the  blue  waves  of  the  Medi- 
terranean to  the  alternate  beauties  and  horrors  of  the 
West  Indies,  have  as  yet  found  an  insufficiency  of 
guides  to  convey  them  to  Brazilian  scenery.  And 
accordingly  we  hear  most  ludicrous  questions  asked 
about  these  parts. 

"  What  sort  of  people  did  you  find  the  Yankees  ? " 
asks  one  of  your  friends,  who  prides  himself  upon  his 
geographical  knowledge,  the  more  that  he  has  never 
travelled. 

"  Yankees !  Oh,  I  only  saw  one,  and  he " 

'*  But  you  don't  mean  to  say  you  saw  only  one  inhabi- 
tant of  Rio  Janeiryo?"  for  so  is  the  name  generally  pro- 
nounced in  our  native  land.     When  you  have  settled 


22  BRAZIL. 

this  questioner,  and  sent  him  to  hulk  in  a  corner  at  this 
discovery  of  his  ignorance,  there  are  a  great  many  more 
people  to  satisfy.  Some  believe  that  Brazil  is  inha- 
hited  by  "  the  natives/'  not  alluding  to  oysters,  but  to 
the  aboriginal  Indians.  Some  again  who  know  the 
place  by  continued  references  to  the  map,  and  sundry 
diligent  perusals  of  Southey's  History  of  Brazil  ask 
you  if  you  ever  put  into  any  harbour,  beheving  that 
her  Majesty's  ships  and  vessels  of  war  are  always  at 
sea,  as  they  might  have  been  in  the  times  of  the  late 
lamented  Benbow.  To  these  I  do  not  address  myself, 
save  that  the  sketches  of  different  harbours  in  this  book 
will  show  whether  we  were  always  at  sea  or  no.  But 
to  those  who  are  uncertain  about  the  inhabitants  of 
Brazil,  I  may  say,  that  the  country  is  inhabited  by 
Portuguese  settlers,  who  however  are  emancipated  from 
their  native  land,  and  would  be  insulted  if  called  Portu- 
guese any  more.  Of  the  history  of  Brazil  I  know  nothing, 
but  that  is  of  the  less  consequence,  as  Southey  has  pub- 
lished a  volume  of  tolerable  size  on  the  subject,  which 
you  would  probably  find  delightful  reading. 

The  harbour  of  Pio  de  Janeiro  is  about  the  finest  in 
the  world,  as  far  as  regards  its  size  and  scenery,  but 
commodiousness  is  not  included  in  the  catalogue  of  its 
excellences.  Brazil  was  made  by  nature,  and  has  there- 
fore mountains,  trees,  rivers,  and  other  things,  wluch 


HARBOUR  OP  RIO  JANEIRO.  23 

we  must  allow  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  beauty, 
but  which  are  deucedly  awkward  when  one  comes 
close  to  them.  I  am  afraid  that,  as  yet,  every  coun- 
try has  been  constructed  by  nature,  and  that  worthy 
creature,  not  being  at  all  utilitarian,  had  an  eye  to 
beauty  rather  than  to  utility.  But  utilitarians  may 
console  themselves  by  remembering,  that  ^'use  is  a 
second  nature,"  and  when  nature,  worn  out,  resigns  in 
favour  of  use,  her  successor  will  certainly  make  a  new 
world,  expressly  calculated  to  conciliate  waggons,  rail- 
roads, &c.  When  this  epoch  comes,  the  harbour  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro  will  be  greatly  altered.  We  shall  have  it 
then  commodious  enough,  but  not  poetic;  but  there 
will  probably  be  no  poets  "  in  the  good  time  coming." 

The  entrance  to  the  harbour  is  most  imposing  as  you 
approach  from  the  westward.  The  neighbourhood  of 
Rio  is  then  pointed  out  to  you  by  the  form  of  the 
mountain  tops,  that  present  the  appearance  of  a  man, 
stretched  out  at  full  length,  lying  on  his  back.  One 
mountain,  the  Gavea,  familiarly  known  as  Lord  Hood's 
nose — in  his  embassy  to  China,  Mr.  Ellis  claims  this 
nickname  for  the  Corcovado,  but  wrongly,  inasmuch  as 
the  Corcovado  bears  no  likeness  to  a  man's  nose,  while 
the  resemblance  the  Gavea  bears  to  the  nose  of  the 
Iron  Duke  is  very  striking — supplies  the  recumbent 
giant  with  a  head,  and  the  Pan  d'  Azucar^  or  Sugar-loaf, 


24  BRAZIL. 

furnishes  liim  with  feet.  The  latter  stands  close  to  the 
harbour's  mouth,  which  is  entirely  hidden  from  sight 
till  you  draw  somewhat  to  the  eastward  of  the  Sugar- 
loaf,  when  the  magnificent  panorama  bursts  suddenly 
on  youV  sight.  The  entrance  is  as  small  in  proportion 
to  the  size  of  the  harbour,  as  is  the  neck  of  a  bottle  to 
its  whole.  In  fact,  the  harbour  of  Eio  very  much 
resembles  a  bottle,  or  a  shot-flask. 

Passing  close  under  the  dark  Sugar-loaf,  that  frowns 
upon  you  like  a  grim  sentinel  at  a  palace  gate,  while  the 
fort  beneath  looks  far  less  imposing,  though  twice  as 
deadly,  just  as  the  sentry's  musket  does  more  execution 
than  his  own  austerity  of  countenance,  you  approach 
the  fort  of  Santa  Cruz.     The  Sugar-loaf  indeed  looks 
very  rocky  and  rugged,  amidst  all  the  verdure  of  the 
neighbouring  mountains,  and  it  scowls  blackly  on  the 
beautiful    bay,    that    means    no    offence    against    its 
sentinel,  as  Satan  looked  upon  the   unconscious   pair 
in  their  first   state  of  innocence.     The  fort  of  Santa 
Cruz  is  built  at  the  end  of  a  rock  sloping  down  from 
the  mountains  at  the  back,  on  the  side  facing  the  Sugar- 
loaf,  and,  being  just  on  the  bar,  commands  the  entrance. 
The  long  swell  heaves  you  onward,  and  breaks  on  the 
ledge  that  shelves  out  from  the  foot  of  the  fort,  with  a 
roar  that  makes  you  feel  unpleasantly  near.     There  are 
two  other  forts  near  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  off 


LAND  ABOUT  EIO.  25 

the  largest  of  which,  Fort  Villegagnon,  vessels  stop  to 
be  boarded  by  the  quarantine  officers.  The  said 
quarantine  officers  seem  to  have  no  scruples  as  to  keep- 
ing ships  waiting.  Once,  on  our  arrival  in  the  harbour, 
we  were  detained  an  hour,  during  which  the  captain's 
impatience  showed  itself  in  the  frequent  discharge  of 
guns,  before  any  quarantine  boat  visited  us.  Negroes 
are  taken  to  Fort  Villegagnon  to  be  flogged.  The 
Fort  Santa  Cruz  hails  all  vessels  that  pass,  but  it  is 
perfectly  immaterial  what  answer  you  return,  as  long  as 
you  utter  some  responsive  sound.  In  fact,  the  system 
here  is  much  the  same  as  that  prevailing  in  certain 
fortified  towns,  where,  when  challenged  by  the  sentry, 
if  you  give  no  answer  you  are  liable  to  be  shot,  but  if 
you  shout  out  Hocus-pocus  or  abracadabra  you  will  be 
permitted  to  pass  free.  K  you  enter  at  night,  this  fort 
burns  a  blue  light,  but  vessels  are  not  allowed  to  go 
out  at  night  without  a  special  permit. 

Proceeding  up  the  harbour,  you  catch  a  momentary 
glimpse  of  the  shady  village,  and  lake-like  bay  of  Bota- 
fogo,  but  a  jutting  point  soon  hides  it  from  view.  The 
land  on  both  sides  presents  very  wonderful  and  distinct 
phases  of  beauty.  On  the  left,  above  the  white  city, 
rise  the  eccentric  forms  of  the  chain  of  mountains,  the 
Corcovado,  the  Tejouka,  and  the  Sugar-loaf,  witli  bare 
rocky  summits  and  green  sides,  standing  up  to  guard 


26  BRAZIL. 

the  town  that  lies  in  their  shadow.  Far  ahead  in  the 
distance  rise  the  blue  Organ  mountains,  earning  their 
name  from  the  likeness  between  their  peaks  and  the 
brass  pipes  in  front  of  an  organ;  while  on  the  right  hand 
the  heights  above  Fort  Santa  Cruz,  where  the  goat  tries 
in  vain  to  struggle  up  the  steep  rock,  serve  to  complete 
the  grandeur  of  the  scene,  and  to  enclose  the  harbour, 
like  a  basin  hollowed  out  in  the  summit  of  a  mountain. 

But  there  are  yet  softer  and  more  delicate  beauties 
around :  the  waving  trees,  the  islets  that  dot  the  bay  in 
every  direction,  the  small  white  sails  hanging  on  the 
blue  waters  like  little  clouds  in  a  southern  sky,  the 
foliage  that  luxuriates  around  the  distant  villas,  and 
robes  the  hill-sides,  are  as  lovely  in  their  gentleness  of 
touch,  as  the  grander  portions  of  the  landscape  in  their 
majesty.  There  is  no  sparing  here,  no  attempt  to  pro- 
duce one  single  effect;  but  Nature  has  so  lavished  her 
gifts,  and  counteracted  all  that  might  have  been 
unsightly  by  contrasts  of  beauty,  that  the  gazer  is  in 
danger  of  never  observing  half  her  riches,  and  the  writer 
must  plead  his  inability  to  do  them  full  justice. 

Having  arrived  in  the  harbour  of  Eio  de  Janeiro,  I 
will  discourse  upon  the  two  most  important  topics  con- 
nected with  the  human  race,  wealth  and  health.  Firstly, 
as  to  money.  The  currency  in  Brazil  consists  chiefly  of 
reis,  which  are  merely  imaginary  coins,  forty  going  to  a 


CURRENCY  OF  BRAZIL.  27 

penny,  and  the  smallest  coin  ever  struck  off  being  one 
of  ten  reis.  The  milree  is  the  coin  generally  used.  As 
its  name  implies  it  consists  of  a  thousand  reis,  or 
twenty-five  dumps  of  forty  reis  each.  A  vinten  or  half 
dump  is  twenty  reis,  and  the  dump  and  vinten  answer 
to  our  pence  and  halfpence.  Though  the  milree  consists 
properly  of  two  shillings  and  a  penny,  English  money, 
yet  the  value  of  it  constantly  varies,  and  during  my  stay 
in  Brazil  it  was  at  the  rate  that  is  technically  termed 
thirty,  that  is,  equal  to  half-a-cro  wn.  Dollars  are  not  much 
in  request,  even  among  the  towns.  The  Spanish  dollars 
are  most  valued,  especially  those  known  by  the  name  of 
"  pillar  dollars,"  having  pillars  stamped  upon  them.  I 
append  a  table  showing  the  general  value  of  the  several 
dollars,  which,  however,  frequently  vary — 

Reis. 

Spanish  and  Brazilian  dollars =    1960 

American,  Mexican,  Bolivarian,  and  other  nations    ==    1800 

The  milrees  are  chiefly  in  notes  of  one,  two,  five,  and 
ten  thousand  reis,  besides  larger  sums.  Twenties  are 
common  enough,  fifties  are  less  common,  and  I  only 
once  saw  a  hundred.  Shortly  before  we  left  the  station, 
gold  and  silver  coins  were  being  struck  off.  The  silver 
coins  were  mostly  pieces  of  five  hundred,  one  and  two 
thousand  reis,  the  gold  ten  and  twenty  thousand,  but 
Bmaller  than  our  English  coins  in  proportion  to  the  value. 


28 


BKAZIIi, 


When  you  go  on  a  cruise,  especially  among  the  small 
villages,  such  as  you  would  principally  visit,  it  is  best  to 
s^^PP^y  yourself  with  plenty  of  copper,  and  single  milree 
notes,  but  none  of  higher  value,  which  you  will  find 
difficult  to  change.  Dollars,  pesos  in  the  language  of 
the  natives,  are  in  little  estimation,  and  you  can  seldom 
get  them  changed  in  the  villages  except  at  a  consider- 
able discount. 

Next,  as  to  health,  which  is  second  only  in  importance 
to  money.  The  Brazils  have  been  hitherto  a  healthy 
enough  climate;  but  about  the  time  of  our  stay  there  the 
fever  commenced  to  appear,  and  in  some  cases  it  com- 
mitted frightful  ravages.  Several  ships  had  to  run 
down  to  the  southward,  that  the  patients  might  have 
more  chance  of  recovering  in  a  colder  climate.  The 
disease  was  far  more  virulent  in  the  harbour  of  Rio  than 
on  the  coast  adjoining;  and,  in  many  cases,  patients  sent 
out  for  a  sea  cruise  derived  signal  benefit  and  fresh 
strength  by  their  brief  absence  from  the  harbour. 

In  many  cases,  seizures  of  fever  are  to  be  attributed  to 
intemperance,  or  imprudence  in  regard  to  diet  and 
exposure.  One  midshipman  who  died  of  the  fever,  had 
spent  one  whole  day  shortly  before  his  seizure  in  smoking 
cigars  and  drinking  in  the  open  air  during  the  noonday 
heat. 

In  recommending  a  plan  of  living,  Doctors  Spix  and 


HOW  TO  BE  HEALTHY  AND  WEALTHY.  29 

Afartius  advise  Europeans  "  to  follow  the  example  of  the 
Brazilians,  who  eat  but  moderately,  drink  chiefly  water, 
and  take  every  thing  with  the  greatest  regularity,  follow- 
injr  that  strict  order  which  is  observable  in  all  the 
phenomena  of  nature  between  the  tropics.  In  the 
evening,  the  Brazilian  takes  scarcely  any  thing ;  at  the 
most  he  drinks  a  cup  of  tea,  or  if  he  has  not  that,  coffee, 
and  avoids,  especially  at  nights,  eating  cool  fruits. 

"Only  such  a  regimen,  and  conforming  with  the 
nature  of  the  climate,  preserves  him  from  many  diseases, 
to  which  the  stranger  exposes  himself  through  inatten- 
tion or  ignorance.  Above  all  things,  therefore,  the 
stranjicer  should  be  advised  to  observe  the  same  re":imen 
as  the  Brazilians ;  neither  to  expose  himself  to  the  fatal 
effect  of  the  sun's  rays,  by  walking  in  the  open  air 
during  the  hottest  parts  of  the  day,  when  all  the  streets 
are  deserted,  nor  to  the  dangerous  consequences  of 
taking  cold  in  the  night  dews,  and,  above  all,  not  to 
indulge  in  sensual  pleasures. 

"Precaution  is  necessary  also  in  drinking  water  to 
appease  the  almost  insatiable  thirst:  we  were  advised  to 
drink  the  water  mixed  with  wine  or  brandy,  but  though 
we  used  this  beverage  with  advantage  when  we  took 
little  exercise  and  kept  in  the  shade,  yet  the  violent 
tendency  of  blood  to  the  head  during  the  journey,  when 
we  were  very  much  exposed  to  the  sun,  particularly  in 


30  BP.AZIL. 

tlia  first  year,  soon  obliged  us  to  renounce  all  spirituous 
liquors :  we  therefore  refreshed  ourselves  with  the  cool 
water  of  the  stream,  without  any  addition,  from  which 
we  never  experienced  any  disagreeable  effect,  if  we 
immediately  again  exposed  ourselves  to  the  heat. 
These  remarks  on  regimen  we  cannot  sufficiently  recom- 
mend to  the  attention  of  travellers." 

This  certainly  seems  a  very  safe  regimen,  which,  being 
no  doctor  myself,  I  have  thought  it  better  to  *'  crib,"  as 
a  sentence  from  a  doctor's  book  on  the  subject  of  health 
has  some  claims  on  one's  attention.  But  moderation  in 
living  will  any  where  be  equally  serviceable ;  and  I  must 
add  that,  personally,  I  never  experienced  any  evil  effects 
from  being  out  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  or  from  drink- 
ing wine  and  spirits  whenever  they  were  obtainable. 

The  Brazilians  themselves,  too,  are  not  so  abstemious 
as  the  worthy  doctors  relate;  for  they  drink  great  quan- 
tities of  cashaga,  and  are  apparently  only  hindered  from 
eating  meat  by  being  in  the  state  which  the  second 
clause  of  Oliver  Cromwell's  grace-before-meat  remarks 
upon.  They  eat  great  quantities  of  other  sorts  of  food, 
especially  fruit,  though  that  is  taken  generally  in  the 
mornings. 

"  Rio  Janeiro,"  say  Doctors  Spix  and  Martins  "  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  more  unhealthy  cities  of  Brazil, 
though  it  would  seem  without  reason^  and  the  fine  nights 


FOOD.  31 

there  may  be  enjoyed  without  any  fear  of  those  disorders 
that  follow  in  many  tropical  parts." 

It  is  evident  that  the  two  doctors  have  taken  their 
experience  of  Brazilian  moderation  from  those  of  the 
hifrher  classes  resident  in  towns.  Those  of  the  lower 
classes,  and  especially  those  residing  in  remote  villages, 
hardly  know  the  existence  of  tea,  and  are  too  lazy  to 
make  coffee.  Yet  with  all  their  habits  of  drinking, 
eating  nothing  of  a  substantial  kind,  and  lying  in  their 
hammocks  till  they  grow  fat  from  sheer  inactivity,  the 
Brazilians  do  attain  to  a  tolerable  longevity,  and,  if  they 
are  without  the  industry  of  our  northern  populations, 
they  certainly  lack  many  of  the  vices  that  disgrace  our 
countrymen. 


BKAiLIL. 


CHAPTER  III. 

NAVAL  MEMS. — BRAZILIAN  MEN-OF-WAR — THE  BERTIOGA — SHORE 
BOATS — SKETCH  FROM  LIFE  OF  A  TRADESMAN CANOES — FELUC- 
CAS— SHARKS  AND  OTHER  DENIZENS  OF  THE  WATERS. 

The  anchorage  generally  chosen  by  English  men-of- 
war,  is  opposite  the  city.  Between  the  ships  and  the 
city  lies  the  small  island  of  Cobras,  where  is  H.  B.  M. 
Storeyard,  governed  by  a  clerk-in-charge,  who  has  a 
comfortable  enough  situation.  He  is  in  a  more  indepen- 
dent position  than  would  be  the  case  with  him  on  board 
ship,  and,  when  the  admiral  is  not  in  harbour,  becomes 
monarch  of  all  he  surveys.  He  has  a  neat  little  house 
and  garden  to  his  own  '^  cheek,"  and  is  generally  not 
deficient  in  the  latter  characteristic.  His  subordinates, 
the  dockyard  mateys,  are  entirely  different  from  their 
namesakes  in  EnMand.     There  are  two  or  three  to  hand 

o 

out  casks,  bales,  &c.,  and  a  drunken  supercargo  to  set 
them  a  good  example. 

Further  up  the  harbour  is  the  coal-hulk,  where  men- 
of-war  take  in  the  necessary  amount  of  fuel.  Close  to 
is  an  island,  stocked  with  coal,  whence  the  mail  packets 
are  supplied  in  a  handy,  expeditious  manner.     It  waa 


NAVAL  MEMS.  33 

probably  fbund  by  the  government  that  getting  coal 
from  a  hulk  was  more  inconvenient  than  from  the 
island,  and  therefore  they  used  the  hulk.  The  way 
of  proceeding  is  as  follows.  The  steamer  goes  along- 
side the  hulk,  and  sends  her  men  on  board.  The  men 
descend  into  the  hold,  and  hoist  up  coal  in  baskets,  in 
which  state  it  is  carried  on  board  the  steamer.  '  There 
are  some  slaves  appertaining  to  the  hulk,  of  the  negro 
race  of  course,  who  assist;  and,  when  the  steamers  men 
have  been  a  certain  lime  in  the  hulk,  it  is  hard  to  dis- 
tinguish a  natural  negro  from  one  created  pro  tern,  by 
the  coal-dust;  and,  when  the  pleasant  sea  breeze  set  in, 
it  wafted  coal-dust  every  where,  over  decks,  cabins, 
clothes,  and  faces.  Dirt  lurked  in  every  whisper  of  the 
wind.  This  hulk  is  named  the  "  Scotland,"  and  came 
originally  from  America.  Her  captain  and  crew  died  of 
fever,  in  consequence  of  which  she  was  bought  by  a 
zealous  merchant  in  Rio,  who  got  the  contract  for 
supplying  the  Navy  with  coal. 

Near  the  said  hulk  lay  a  huge  Brazilian  two-decker, 
bearing  the  name  of  Dom  Pedro  Secundo,  She  had  only 
lately  been  built,  but  was  not  destined  to  enjoy  a  very 
long  lease  of  life.  She  was  built  at  Bahia  by  Brazilian 
artificers,  and  was  sent  from  thence  to  Rio.  During 
that  short  voyage  she  rolled  so  dreadfully  as  to  carry 
Away  all  her  masts,  and  was  considered  to  have  bad 


34  BRAZIL. 

quite  enough  of  the  sea.  She  then  remained  an 
unsightly  mass  up  the  harbour  for  some  time,  and  was  at 
last  sold  for  the  purpose  of  being  broken  up.  The 
Brazilian  dockyard  lies  a  little  way  above  the  island  of 
Cobras,  and  seemed  the  essence  of  untidiness,  as  far  as 
I  could  judge  from  a  passing  inspection.  It  is  not  open 
to  the  view  of  English  naval  officers,  for  very  substan- 
tial reasons. 

Without  doubt  the  noblest  vessel  in  the  Brazilian 
service  is  their  double-banked  frigate,  the  Constitutiao, 
which  once  belonged  to  the  Americans,  and  will  be 
better  known  to  Englishmen  as  the  "Constitution." 
The  Brazilians  bought  it,  and  were  taken  in,  as  might 
reasonably  have  been  expected.  The  vessel  was  sold  as 
copper-bottomed  for  a  large  sum,  and  when  she  was  dry- 
docked  in  England,  the  Brazilians  not  having  a  dry  dock 
of  their  own,  it  was  discovered  that  there  was  just  a  slij 
of  copper  round  her  below  the  water-mark,  that  woulo 
lead  one  to  suppose  that  she  was  coppered  all  over,  or 
rather,  all  under. 

Next  in  rank  came  the  corvettes,  vessels  of  which 
class  are  most  abundant  in  the  Brazilian  navy.  One  ol 
these,  the  Bertio(/a,  was  for  some  time  a  sharer  of  our 
cruising  ground,  I  once  had  the  pleasure  of  paying  her 
a  visit,  and  found  a  strong  resemblance  between  her  and 
a  Newcastle  collier.     She  was  very  "slummy"  (naval 


BRAZILIAN  MEN-OF-WAR,  35 

term  for  slovenly)  and  dirty.  Aloft  she  seemed  exces- 
sively untidy:  ropes*  ends  flying  about,  sails  badly 
furled,  yards  not  squared,  and  ropes  not  taut.  Some  men 
were  aloft,  looking  very  uncomfortable,  hanging  to  tho 
slack  ropes,  that  waved  and  swung  about  at  each  roll, 
with  more  than  landsman-like  tenacity.  I  entered  into 
conversation  with  an  officer  on  board  who  spoke  a  little 
French,  and  found  that  the  Beriioga  had  that  morning 
taken  some  slaves,  who  were  visible  on  the  main  deck, 
men  and  women  together,  in  a  state  of  nudity.  The 
corvette  had  that  morning  chased  a  brigantine,  and  was 
gaining  on  her,  seeing  which,  the  brigantine  put  some 
slaves  into  a  canoe,  and  sent  them  adrift.  While  the 
Bertioga  was  picking  them  up,  the  chase  ran  ashore  on 
Mararabya  (a  long  low  sandy  island  off  which  we  were 
then  cruising),  and  landed  the  rest  of  her  slaves.  The 
corvette's  boats  were  sent  after  them,  and  the  stray 
negroes  were  eventually  recovered. 

The  crew  of  the  Bertioga  consisted  chiefly  of  Bra- 
zilians and  negroes.  I  saw  also  some  Englishmen  on 
board,  who  seemed  heartily  ashamed  of  their  ship,  and 
sneaked  about  in  a  pitiful  manner,  as  if  the  fact  of  be- 
longing to  a  Brazilian  man-of-war  had  robbed  them  of 
all  their  courage.  The  boatswain,  a  fierce  man,  out  of 
uniform,  dressed  in  a  sort  of  linsey-woolsey  frock, 
roamed  about  the  decks  with  a  rope's  end  in  his  hand, 


36  BRAZIL. 

applying  it  freely  and  indiscriminately.  The  officer 
with  whom  I  was  talking  informed  me  that  the  corvette 
had  on  each  side  eight  twenty-four  pounder  guns,  and 
one  of  thirty-two  pound,  eighteen  in  all. 

Some  brigantines,  schooners,  and  steamers,  complete 
the  catalogue  of  ships,  which  is  not  so  long  as  Homer's, 
or  so  poetical.  One  of  the  schooners  had  been  a  slaver, 
and  is  now  about  the  neatest  vessel  in  the  Brazilian 
navy.  The  best  steamer  w^as  the  Don  Pedro,  a  yacht 
built  for  the  Emperor's  use  by  an  Englishman.  Another 
steamer  was  the  Urania,  a  diminutive  vessel,  scarcely 
larger  than  one  of  the  Greenwich  boats,  and  not  so  fast, 
looking  more  like  a  squirt  worked  by  steam  than  a  man- 
of-war.  Coal  is  not  much  used  by  the  Brazilian  steamers, 
wood  being  cheaper,  and  more  plentiful. 

The  chief  revenues  of  the  Brazilian  government  are 
derived  from  the  custom-house,  an  immense  duty  being 
charged  on  all  foreign  articles.  English  goods,  for 
instance,  have  to  pay  a  duty  of  eighty  per  cent.,  a  most 
exorbitant  price  surely,  and  French  goods  pay  but 
little  less.  I  was  informed,  by  a  person  possessed  of 
some  experience  with  regard  to  the  affairs  of  this  govern- 
ment and  nation,  that  one  ship  of  war  stationed  off  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour  to  blockade  it,  would  cause  in  a 
very  short  time  a  general  dearth  in  the  town.  The 
entrance  is  so  narrow  that  one  ship  could  blockade  it 


SHORE  BOATS.  ST 

effectually,  and  put  a  stop  to  all  traffic.  In  a  few 
days,  people  would  look  round,  missing  their  usual 
resources,  and  would  inquire  where  all  the  money  was 
gone  to,  a  proceeding  which  strikes  one  as  slightly 
comic. 

The  shore-boats  in  this  harbour  are  convenient  in 
their  structure,  inconvenient  in  their  habits.  They 
generally  belong  to  a  Brazilian  of  some  money,  who 
hires  or  buys  two  negroes  for  each  boat.  They  are 
moored  near  the  Palace  Square,  just  opposite  Pharoux's 
hotel,  and  never  come  off  to  ships  in  the  harbour  unless 
engac^ed.  This  habit  of  never  lying  alongside  on  the 
chance  of  getting  a  passenger,  renders  landing  or  visiting 
other  ships  extremely  difficult.  These  boats  are  light, 
and  pull  well,  at  night  the  negroes  singing  in  time  to 
their  oars.  The  charge  for  a  boat  to  a  ship  in  the 
harbour  is  one  milree '  for  an  officer,  for  a  resident  on 
shore  generally  two  patacs  (16d.)  as  one  accustomed  to 
use  a  boat  frequently  gets  it  cheaper.  The  merchants 
of  the  place  have  private  boats,  either  belonging  to 
them,  or  let  to  them  for  longer  periods,  and  in  these  are 
frequently  four  negroes,  more  smartly  dressed  than  the 
two  in  the  common  run  of  boats.  With  four  oars  the 
boats  fly  along  swiftly,  and  the  tradesman,  reclining  in 
the  stern,  whirling  the  rudder  about,  in  a  manner  more 
careless  than  scientific,  and  giving  his  orders,  is  inclined 


^^  BRAZIL, 

to  be  elevated  for  the  time  above  his  station,  through  a 
notion  of  his  new  dignity. 

These  are  the  English  tradesmen,  of  a  high  class 
abroad,  who  have  large  shops,  that  pay  fearfully  well 
from  the  high  charges  for  English  goods,  and  the 
presence  of  the  squadron.  One  of  these  tradesmen 
reminds  me  of  Fame  in  the  JEneid  : — 

malum  quo  non  aliud  velocius  ullum 


quo 


Mobilitate  viget,  viresque  acquii-it  eundo 
Parva  metu  primo . 


-pedibus  celer  et  pernicibus  alis, 


Monstrum  horrendum,  ingens,  cui  quot  sunt  corpore  plumse 

Tot  vigiles  oculi  subter  (mirabile  dictu) 

Tot  linffuce,  totidem  ora  sonant,  tot  subrigit  aures. 

He  begins  as  a  small  tradesman,  gradually  his 
business  increases,  and  he  gains  strength  by  tick. 
The  "Tot  llngUEe"  alludes  to  his  skill  in  languages 
of  course,  and  if  he  has  not  many  ears,  the  length 
of  those  he  has  naturally  compensates  for  the  want  of 
more. 

He  charges  enormous  prices  for  his  English  goods, 
and  lays  the  blame  on  the  custom-house.  But  while 
the  custom-house  charges  80,  he  not  unfrequently  wants 
500  per  cent.  He  lets  officers,  youngsters  especially, 
get  into  debt  further  than  they  wish,  and  electrifies 
them  by  the  prices  of  all  their  purchases. 

If  they  can't  pay,  he  goes  to  the  captain,  and  the 


A  SKETCH  FROM  LIFE.  39 

youngster  has  his  leave  stopped,  and  the  bill  deducted 
from  his  allowance. 

By  such  means  he  gets  into  a  flourishing  way  of 
business,  and  supplies  gunroom  messes  with  meat  and 
all  other  necessities,  with  a  fair  remuneration  to  him- 
self. So  his  customers  increase  ;  his  shop  likewise ;  and, 
what  18  more  important,  his  reputation,  and  he  is  con- 
tractor to  the  fleet,  and  turns  many  a  pretty  penny 
from  that  occupation.  He  now  flies  about  in  a  four- 
oared  boat,  as  I  have  described  previously,  and  patronises 
the  midshipmen.  He  can  forgive  Jones  (aged  14)  his 
little  bill  of  £2,  especially  as  it  ought  to  be  ten  shillings, 
and  Jones  is  going  home ;  but  as  for  that  Smith  (aged 
19)  who  owes  £\5,  and  is  not  going  home  yet,  he  has 
run  into  debt  with  his  eyes  open,  and  shall  be  made  to 
pay  to  the  uttermost  farthing. 

It  is  perhaps  not  a  regular  downright  system  of  dis- 
honesty that  induces  these  habits ;  it  is  more  the  ha])i- 
tual  northern  desire  of  getting  a  penny  over,  combined 
with  the  high  prices  that  exist  among  the  Brazilians, 
who  cheat  because  they  are  too  lazy  to  be  honest.  One 
of  these  Englishmen  is  perhaps  honest  enough  at  heart, 
but  he  is  mortal,  and  a  dun,  and — que  voulez-vous  ? 

The  lower  class  of  tradesmen  most  frequently  visit 
the  ships  in  canoes.  The  canoes  of  Rio  are  more 
strongly  built  than  those  of  country  places,  but  should 


40 


BRAZIL. 


be  avoided  except  in  smooth  weather.  I  had  once  such 
experience  of  danger  and  misery  in  one  of  these  vessels, 
as  to  warn  me  from  again  entering  such  unstable  craft. 
The  bottom  was  full  of  water,  in  which  some  money  was 
floating.  She  heeled  over  so  at  every  stroke  of  the  bow 
oar  and  twirl  of  the  stern-paddle,  as  to  menace  an  over- 
turn. We  went  sideways  across  the  harbour,  like  Mr. 
Winkle's  horse,  scarce  gaining  an  inch  ahead. 

These  canoes  are  much  in  use  among  cigar-dealers, 
et  hoc  genus  omne.  They  have  a  secret  locker  in  the 
stern  where  the  dealer  can  place  his  boxes  of  cigars,  out 
of  sight  of  the  officials  who  object  to  such  proceedings. 
One  of  these  cigar-dealers  informed  me  that  he  was  not 
allowed  to  bring  more  than  two  boxes  of  cigars  with  him, 
and  that  the  canoe  was  convenient  as  affording  him  a 
place  of  concealment  for  the  contraband  articles. 

The  canoes  seem  to  belong  to  small  proprietors,  who 
paddle  them  about,  generally  hiring  a  man  by  the  day 
or  month  to  pull  the  bow  oar,  as  the  paddle  is  the 
easier  and  more  dignified  of  the  two  implements. 

Besides  these  small  craft,  there  is  a  large  sort  of 
feluccas,  that  ply  across  to  Braganza.  If  there  is  any 
wind  they  fly  by  with  their  large  sails  full  almost  to 
bursting ;  but  if  it  is  calm,  four  negroes  with  heavy  oars 
rise  and  fall  to  a  monotonous  howl,  and  seem  to  be  using 
monstrous    exertions.      There  are,  moreover,  steamers 


SHABKS;  41 

equal  in  size  to  the  Thames  boats,  that  run  from  Rio  to 
Braganza,  Botafogo,  and  Petropolis. 

Bathing  can  be  safely  carried  on  in  the  harbour,  not- 
withstanding the  presence  of  those  "  tigers  of  the  deep  " 
— the  sharks.  Perhaps  these  ravenous  creatures  are 
frightened  away  by  the  splashing  of  many  men  swim- 
ing  together,  but  certainly  they  are  not  unknown  in 
Kio  Janeiro.  I  remember  one  ni^ht  seehigr  a  shark 
playing  round  the  gangway  ladder  of  the  Geyser  when 
anchored  here.  The  sentry  went  down  to  **  stir  it  up 
with  a  long  pole,"  or  rather  a  boat-hook,  but  no  sooner 
did  he  approach  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  than  the  shark 
made  a  bolt  at  him,  and  the  frightened  "jolly"  returned 
in  a  more  hurried  manner.  The  current  in  the  harbour 
is  also  at  times  very  strong,  so  that  the  men  who  bathe 
have  to  struggle  against  more  disadvantages  than  one, 
as  perhaps  the  sharks  miglit  dare  to  seize  hold  of  a  man 
isolated  from  the  numbers  they  are  supposed  to  fear. 
They  say  that  porpoises  drive  sharks  away ;  and,  as 
there  are  porpoises  frequently  visible  in  the  harbour, 
their  presence  makes  the  sharks  disappear.  This,  as 
Waterton  says,  is  mere  conjecture. 


42  BKAZIL. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

8T.  SEBASTIAN — THE  PALACE  SQUARE — PHAROUX — A  LITTLE  FREE- 
DOM AND  ENLIGHTENMENT — TAKE  CARE  OF  THE  PENCE — PASTRY- 
COOKS— SCENES  IN  THE  PALACE  SQUARE — THOSE  DEAR  BLACKS — 
WHO  KEEP  SHOPS  IN  BRAZIL  —  FEATHER  FLOWERS  —  A  BIRD- 
FANCIER— GLORIA — MULTOS  CASTRA  JUVANT. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  harbour  lies  the  city  of  St. 
Sebastian.  Such  is  its  legitimate  name;  but,  in  common 
with  many  other  Brazilian  towns,  it  has  dropped  its  own 
name,  and  assumed  that  of  the  bay  on  whose  shores  it  is 
situated.  In  the  same  manner  we  have  the  towns  of 
Bahia  and  Espirito  Santo.  From  a  distance,  the  white- 
ness of  its  houses  gives  this  city  a  clean  and  neat  appear- 
ance, but  its  beauty  is  only  external.  The  chief  landing- 
place  is  at  a  wooden  jetty  in  the  Palace  Square,  on 
approaching  which  your  hopes  of  cleanliness  vanish  like 
the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision.  All  the  filth  of  the  town  is 
flung  into  the  water  near  this  pier,  and  apparently  the  tide 
does  not  penetrate  so  far;  for  the  water  is  nearly  stagnant, 
and  filled  with  floating  abominations.  In  consequence,  a 
most  unpleasant  odour  pervades  the  neighbourhood;  and, 
as  I  had  to  wait  off"  this  pier  in  the  beef-boat  for  two 


PHAROUX.  43 

hours  every  afternoon,  I  may  be  fairly  said  to  have 
receiTed  an  undue  share  of  these  horrors. 

When  you  come  to  the  jetty,  you  see  in  front  a  large 
unsightly  building,  much  like  a  barrack.  This  is  the 
Palace,  with  a  needless  number  of  guards  parading 
about.  On  your  left  is  a  finer  building,  Pharoux's  hotel, 
M'hich  might  well  be  mistaken  for  the  palace,  were  it  not 
too  dignified  in  outward  show  for  the  abode  of  a  foreign 
dignitary.  The  exterior  of  this  hotel  is  more  imposing 
than  the  interior,  which  is  sadly  deficient  in  cleanli- 
ness and  accommodation.  The  *^ saloon"  is  generally 
crammed  with  naval  officers,  merchants'  clerks,  and 
Americans.  A  good  deal  of  business  is  transacted  here, 
in  the  eating  and  drinking  line.  On  asking  for  a  cold 
chicken,  I  have  seen  the  waiter  hoist  one  by  its  legs  from 
a  large  dish  where  it  had  been  reposing  in  tho  company 
of  others  of  its  class,  and  place  it  on  a  plate  for  my  use. 
Possibly  this  hotel  has  been  degraded  to  the  level  of 
Americans,  many  of  whom  flock  here  constantly.  You 
hear  them  bragging  with  that  vile  twang  that  converts 
the  English  into  the  Yankee  tongue.  They  talk  always 
about  bowie-knives  and  revolvers,  guessing  and  calcu- 
lating, and  "  Gawd  darn." 

One  American,  who  called  himself  purser  of  the  U.  S. 
brig  of  war  Bainbridge,  signalized  himself  especially  by 
committing  a  murder  in  the  hotel.     The  young  woman 


44  BRAZIL. 

who  sat  at  the  bar,  and  kept  the  books,  was  married  to 
the  cook,  an  Italian,  who  treated  her  ill,  beating  her 
very  frequently.  The  consequence  was  that  the  woman 
wore  an  unhappy  air^  and,  being  generally  tired  in  the 
evening,  added  sleepiness  to  unhappiness.  The 
American  resolved  to  take  up  her  quarrel ;  and,  seeing 
her  crying  once,  remarked  to  an  English  officer  that  if 
he  saw  her  crying  again,  he'd  settle  her  husband — that  he 
had  a  bowie-knife  under  his  waistcoat  that  would  do  for 
him  effectually.     On  this  the  Englishman  inquired : 

"Do  you  call  yourself  an  officer  in  the  American 
navy  ?  " 

"  I  calkilate  I  do ;  "  answered  the  Yankee  with  some 
surprise,  not  seeing  that  the  Englishman  was  somewhat 
a  stranger  to  Americans,  and  might  not  know  whether 
their  officers  were  supposed  to  be  gentlemen  or  not. 

*^  Then  all  I  can  say  is,  that  you're  a  disgrace  to  your 
profession ! " 

The  American  meditated  for  some  time  whether  he 
should  use  the  bowie-knife  on  this  provocation,  but 
finally  he  responded : 

"Wall,  stranger,  if  I've  offended  you,  I  beg  your 
pardon,  but — p'raps  you'll  take  a  glass  of  brandy  and 
watarr !  '* 

One  day  the  Italian  cook  was  sitting  in  the  bar, 
with  his  wife  by  his  side,  when  the  American  entered. 


TAKE  CARE  OP  THE  PENCE,  45 

Thinking  that  his  former  interposition  in  the  wife's 
favour  warranted  some  familiarity  with  her,  the 
American  walked  up  to  her,  and  took  some  liberties 
that  no  husband  would  allow;  on  which  the  Italian 
knocked  the  American  down.  The  American  rose 
and  went  out;  coming  in  soon  after,  and  finding  the 
Italian  still  there,  he  walked  up  to  him,  drew  forth 
his  revolver  and  lodged  three  bullets  in  his  brain. 
On  this  the  Italian  died,  naturally  enough,  and  his 
wife  fainted  away,  more  naturally  still ;  while  the  mur- 
derer was  taken  into  custody,  and  sentenced  to  hard 
labour  for  life.  Capital  punishment  does  not  prevail 
much  in  Brazil.  I  have  only  heard  of  one  case,  where  a 
slave  was  hanged,  the  execution  being  conducted  in  a 
most  barbarous  manner.  The  poor  wretch  was  hanged 
two  or  three  times  over  ineffectually,  before  life  was 
extinct. 

Pharoux,  the  owner  of  this  hotel,  is  a  Frenchman,  and 
was  originally  one  of  Napoleon's  cooks.  His  hotel, 
though  large  and  well  attended,  has  not  been  able  to 
save  him  from  ruin.  But  his  bankruptcy  has  not  been 
caused  by  insufficiency  of  customers,  but  by  negligence 
in  the  issue  of  small  notes,  worth  threepence  each.  In 
Eio  de  Janeiro  it  is  the  custom  of  all  large  companies  to 
issue  their  own  bank-notes,  most  of  which  are  for  a 
hundred  and  twenty  reis,  threepence.     The  tickets  for 


46  BRAZIL. 

crossing  from  Rio  to  Braganza  in  steamers  are  available 
as  bank-notes  in  Rio.  Fancy  paying  for  any  household 
article  with  a  first-class  ticket  to  Exeter !  The  hotel  is 
now  carried  on  for  the  creditors.  It  is  large  enough, 
and  its  bedrooms  are  well  fitted.  There  are  also  hot 
baths  at  the  back,  to  get  to  which  you  have  to  pass 
throuofh  a  stable.  Thus  French  neatness  and  ele<?ance 
strives  with  Brazilian  lack  of  civilisation.  Some  prefer 
the  Hotel  I'Europe,  in  the  Rue  d'Ouvidor,  as  being 
cleaner  and  cheaper ;  but  it  is  rather  out  of  the  way  for 
naval  men,  while  Pharoux  stands  exactly  at  the  point 
where  shore-boats  are  procurable. 

While  waiting  at  the  wooden  jetty  for  beef,  I  had 
ample  opportunities  for  observing  the  representatives  of 
each  nation,  passing  by  or  lounging  about.  The 
negroes  predominated.  First,  were  negro  girls  going 
to  the  fountain,  or  negro  porters  lounging  about  with 
baskets  on  their  heads,  waiting  for  employment. 
Next  negro  girls  in  service,  promenading  about  the 
streets  with  trays  of  cakes  and  sweetmeats  on  their 
heads,  light  pastry  of  the  richest  kind  being  manu- 
factured by  their  mistresses,  and  hawked  about  the  street 
by  the  servant  for  their  lady's  benefit.  Some  ladies 
are  reported  to  have  made  considerable  sums  by  this 
trafiic.  Imagine  the  introduction  of  such  a  custom 
into  England.     Think  of  Mrs.  Man  vers  making  Bath 


THOSE  DEAE  BLACKS !  47 

buns  with  her  own  fair  hands,  sending  Mary  Ann  or 
Sarah  to  sell  them  in  Curzon  Street,  or  more  hurablo 
thoroughfares,  and  making  the  maid  accountable  for 
their  value.  There  would  certainly  be  a  revolution 
among  the  servants.  Those  who  are  presuming  enough 
as  it  is,  would  never  submit  to  such  a  **  houtridge ;"  and 
what  would  the  policemen  say?  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
Punch  would  make  his  fortune. 

Next  come  negroes,  trotting  along  to  the  tune  of 
a  loud  monotonous  howl,  with  a  heavy  cask  hang- 
ing from  a  pole  that  runs  from  shoulder  to  shoulder 
of  the  group.  And  then  are  old  women  with  private 
speculations  of  their  own,  in  the  shell  and  insect  line, 
from  which  they  do  not  seem  to  derive  much  profit. 

So  runs  the  black  tide  of  life ;  how  goes  the  white  ? 
First  comes  the  pompous  Brazilian  grandee,  with  a 
wonderful  amount  of  pride  gratis,  as  he  has  nothing 
to  be  proud  of.  A  beggar  accosts  him,  asking  for  alms, 
to  which  he  returns  the  stately  answer,  '^absoluta- 
mente  nada!"  absolutely  nothing.  The  long  rolling 
swell  of  the  "  absolutamente "  ushers  in  the  humble 
"  nada,"  just  as  the  pomposity  of  the  Brazilian  precedes 
the  man  himself  in  his  utter  worthlessness.  Another 
Brazilian,  a  choleric  testy  old  gentleman,  the  very 
image  of  the  celebrated  Mr.  Briggs,  amused  himself  one 
day  by  thrashing  a  wretched  negro  porter  with  a  thick 


48  BRAZIL. 

stick,  laying  it  about  his  head  and  shoulders.  The 
negro  uttered  a  howl  like  that  of  a  cur,  and  fled,  the 
Brazilian  edition  of  Briggs  actually  running  after  hira 
and  striking  out.  There  must  have  been  some  dreadful 
provocation  given  to  make  a  Brazilian  run !  It  is 
certainly  the  only  time  that  I  ever  saw  like  activity 
displayed  by  one  of  that  race. 

Philanthropists,  on  coming  to  this  passage,  will 
probably  half  shut  the  book,  and,  turning  to  their  intelli- 
gent family,  remark,  "  You  will  here  observe  one  of  the 
most  lamentable  effects  of  that  most  cursed  system, 
slavery.  It  will  be  perfectly  clear  to  you,  John  Thomas, 
and  to  you,  George  William,  with  your  classical  and 
historical  learning,  that  such  a  state  of  things  could  not 
by  any  possibility  exist  in  any  other  state  of  society. 
We  have  doubly  cause  for  being  thankful  that  we  dwell 
in  a  Christian  land,  where  such  outrages  are  merely  a 
matter  of  non-existence,  and  would  cause  a  feeling  of 
horror  throughout  the  land  if  perpetrated  within  it." 
Hereupon  philanthropists  put  my  book  aside,  and  turn 
to  The  Times  of  to-day,  where  they  read  cases  of  wife- 
beating,  and  sundry  other  brutalities,  committed  by  the 
free,  enlightened,  and  civilized  inhabitants  of  our 
Christian  metropolis. 

At  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  Palace  Square  runs 
the  Rue  Direita,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  paved 


WHO  KEEP  SHOPS.  49 

Streets  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  cathedral  stands  next 
to  the  palace,  and  at  the  entrance  of  this  street.  The 
Eue  Direita,  as  the  cleanest  street  in  the  town,  is  the 
resort  of  most  English  shopkeepers.  Large  wholesale 
houses  lie  at  one  end,  but  the  smaller  shops,  or  general 
stores,  are  near  the  cathedral.  An  English  shop  in  one 
of  the  regions 

"  Where  things  familiar  cease,  and  strange  begin," 

(that  is,  out  of  England,  since  we  find  strange  enough 
things  at  Boulogne,  without  going  any  farther)  is  in 
general  stored  with  a  very  miscellaneous  assortment  of 
goods.  Wines  and  spirits,  groceries,  books,  draperies, 
fruits  fresh  and  preserved,  paper  and  pickles,  stationery 
and  salad  oil,  English  and  foreign  goods,  are  all  mixed 
together.  The  bulk  of  shopkeepers  in  Rio  are  either 
English  or  French,  the  Brazilians  being  frequently  too 
lazy  to  keep  shop  or  do  any  such  arduous  business. 
But  when  they  do  keep  shops  they  feel  like  the  man, 
who,  having  made  a  resolution  never  to  go  into  a  public 
house,  was  so  much  pleased  with  himself  for  once  pass- 
ing one  without  entering,  that  he  immediately  rewarded 
himself  by  turning  back  and  going  in.  The  Brazilian 
says,  "Well,  I  have  opened  a  shop,  I  ought  to  he 
rewarded,"  and  compensates  himself  by  aflfixing  immense 
prices  to  the  commonest  articles.     I  scarcely  exaggerate 


50  BRAZIL. 

when  I  say  that  their  lowest  price  is  a  mih'ee,  which 
seems  among  them  to  answer  to  a  shilling  or  sixpence  iu 
England.  I  remember  visiting  a  showy  shop  kept  by  a 
Brazilian,  full  of  humming-birds,  feathers  in  the  shape 
of  fans  or  domestic  ornaments,  shells,  &c.  After  askino- 
the  price  of  some  of  the  more  gaudy  articles,  and  findino- 
it  was  absurdly  disproportionate  to  their  merits,  not 
wishing  to  go  without  buying  something,  I  inquired  the 
value  of  a  small  shell,  such  as  you  might  pick  up  on  the 
beach  any  day,  which  if  any  one  would  give  you  a  penny 
for  you  would  think  yourself  in  luck.  "Hum  milree 
senor ! "  was  the  answer. 

The  Rue  d'Ouvidor,  turning  out  of  the  Eue  Direita 
and  running  at  right  angles  to  it,  is  the  fashionable 
street;  it  is  narrow,  many  of  the  paving  stones  have 
vanished,  leaving  behind  holes  unsightly  and  awkward, 
and  a  gutter  runs  down  it  in  the  middle.  But  the 
trottoirs  on  each  side  are  neat  and  well  kept,  and  there 
is  no  lack  of  handsome  shops,  after  the  pattern  of  those 
on  the  Boulevards.  Here  gold  and  silver  ornaments  of 
the  person  flashed  through  the  glass,  and  here  the  light 
from  within  displays  cut  glass  bottles  and  perfumes, 
whose  bright  colours  borrow  an  additional  lustre  from 
the  gleam  of  the  lamps,  refracted  as  it  is  from  the 
exquisite  carving  of  the  bottles  that  contain  them. 
Here  humming-birds  glowed,  as  if  containing  inward 


RUE  D*OUVIDOR.  61 

fire  that  burned  through,  and  inspired  their  most 
brilliant  tints. 

There  are  some  few  booksellers*  shops  in  this  street.  The 
books  kept  there  are  exclusively  French,  with  just  the 
exception  of  the  Tauchnitz  editions  of  English  authors, 
and  here  and  there  a  solitary  Byron  or  Milton,  gibbeted 
in  an  octavo  by  the  printers  who  appertain  to 
Messrs.  Galignani  and  Baudr}\  All  Englishmen  have 
been  to  Paris,  and  consequently  all  Englishmen  must 
know  that  every  volume  of  the  Tauchnitz  collection 
is  marked  "  half  a  thaler.  Is,  Gd."  But  only  Englishmen 
who  have  travelled  farther  than  Paris  know  the  mar- 
vellous powers  of  expansion  possessed  by  the  said  half 
thaler. 

"  Half  a  thaler,"  said  the  Brazilian  shopman  turning 
to  the  back  of  the  volume,  on  being  asked  its  price, 
"Half  a  thaler,  dat  is,  milree  naf!"  A  milree  and  a 
half  amounted  at  that  time  to  three  shillings  and  nine- 
pence, — a  slight  advancement  on  half  a  thaler. 

As  you  proceed  along  the  Rue  d'Ouvidor  you  come  to 
the  establishment  of  Madame  Dubois,  the  principal 
manufacturer  of  feather  flowers  in  Rio.  She  succeeded 
Madame  Finot  only  lately,  and  in  consequence  her  shop 
is  still  known  as  Madame  Finot's,  and  talked  of  as  such. 
On  entering  her  shop,  you  find  the  front  part  devoted 
to  selling  flowers,  and  the  back  part  to  their  manufacture. 


52  BRAZIL. 

The  cases  on  the  walls  and  in  the  windows  were  full  of 
the  most  beautiful  flowers,  orange  wreaths,  and  wreaths 
of  white  speckled  with  blue,  pink  carnations,  and  snowy 
camelias.  Then  there  were  stuffed  birds,  from  the  tou- 
can with  his  huge  bill,  to  the  most  delicate  humming- 
birds, whose  crests  and  bosoms  shone  with  scarlet  or 
molten  gold.  One  or  two  birds  of  paradise  were  perched 
on  the  highest  roosts,  their  long  graceful  feathers  droop- 
ing down  like  the  boughs  of  a  weeping  willow.  In  the 
back  part  of  the  shop  was  a  long  bar,  behind  which 
numerous  young  girls  were  employed  in  making  up 
the  flowers,  twisting,  cutting,  and  gumming  away 
vigorously.  There  were  heaps  of  feathers  before  them, 
one  heap  being  devoted  to  each  colour.  It  is  really 
surprising  how  such  delicate  materials  can  be  managed 
so  skilfully,  especially  as  the  flowers  are  not  dyed,  like 
those  at  Madeira,  but  separate  feathers  are  gummed 
together  to  produce  each  effect.  By  having  the  process 
of  manufacture  in  public,  Madame  Dubois  offers  a 
material  guarantee,  the  absence  of  dyeing  materials 
showing  you  that  the  flowers  are  honestly  made  from 
vari-coloured  feathers.  The  dames  de  comptoir  were 
generally  quadroons,  and,  though  darker  even  than 
Spanish  girls,  were  not  of  necessity  prettier.  There  is 
an  English  demoiselle  retained  here  to  attend  English 
visiters,  and  her  office  seems  no  sinecure. 


FEATHER  FL0WER3.  53 

The  prices  of  the  flowers  are  various.  Carnations, 
being  the  most  common,  are  sold  for  a  milree  each ;  but 
in  the  other  kinds  of  flowers,  Madame  Dubois  generally 
charges  too  highly  for  the  pockets  of  midshipmen.  The 
birds  cost  generally  ten  shillings  a  dozen  :  there  are  some 
"  extra  super "  humming-birds  sold  at  three  mllrees 
each,  and  the  birds  of  paradise  cost  twenty  mllrees. 
Among  the  dozen  birds  that  I  purchased,  were  several 
humming-birds,  some  paroquets,  and  some  that 
belonged  to  the  "  finches  of  the  grove ;  "  Portuguese 
indeed  call  them  bentivees,  but  Englishmen  "  banana- 
birds." 

I  believe  the  only  articles  of  Brazilian  fancy  manu- 
facture exhibited  at  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1851, 
were  feather  flowers.  They  are  certainly  the  most 
important.  The  next  in  importance  are  silver  orna- 
ments, more  remarkable  for  their  masslveness  than  for 
their  elegance.  They  seem  in  great  use  in  the  town, 
from  the  number  of  shops  in  whose  windows  they  are 
displayed:  but  we  bought  them  generally  as  you 
would  buy  an  Indian  spear,  or  the  ring  that  once  graced 
the  nose  of  an  unreclaimed  savage.  One  of  the  chief 
silver  manufactures  was  a  pair  of  brace  buckles,  heavy 
and  expensive,  weighing  about  five  ounces,  and  costing 
five  or  six  dollars.  It  certainly  seemed  a  strange  style 
of  ornament,  that  would  only  be  worn  by  a  waistcoat- 


54  BEAZIL. 

less  individual.  Silver  brace  buckles  and  no  waistcoat 
would  look  as  strange  as  a  necklace  of  diamonds  over  a 
dressing-gown. 

At  the  head  of  the  Rue  d'Ouvidor  stands  the  opera, 
in  the  square  that  borrows  its  name  and  patronage. 
Just  as  the  "  Geyser  "  left  the  station,  this  opera-house 
was  burnt  down,  and  we  left  an  English  speculator 
about  to  construct  an  iron  one  in  its  place,  the 
Brazilians  being,  I  suppose,  willing  to  sacrifice  majesty 
at  the  shrine  of  cheapness  and  durability. 

After  Madame  Dubois,  another  vender  of  feather 
flowers  and  birds  deserves  notice.  This  man,  a  Mr. 
Youd,  manages  to  sell  those  commodities  at  a  much 
lower  rate,  without  their  deserving  to  be  classed 
among  the  ''cheap  and  nasty."  I  landed  with  him 
once  in  a  canoe,  at  some  stone  steps  further  up  the 
harbour  than  the  Palace  Square,  near  an  open  space 
tenanted  by  negroes,  and  smelling  abominably  of  a 
complication  of  bad  fruit,  bad  fish,  and  bad  vegetables. 
Passing  along  the  Rue  Direita  by  the  substantial  houses 
of  the  chief  English  merchants,  that  somewhat  resembled 
the  wholesale  warehouses  in  Paternoster  Row,  we 
diverged  into  some  narrow  dirty  little  back  slums,  and 
reached  his  door.  A  flight  of  ricketty  creaking  steps 
led  up  to  his  sanctum  sanctorum.  The  unsteadiness  of 
the  stairs,  that  threatened  to  break  down  at  every  step, 


THE  BIRD-FANCIER.  55 

recalled  to  my  mind  vague  anecdotes  about  the  secret 
dens  of  robbers,  and  I  was  half  In  apprehension  lest  some 
secret  trapdoor  should  suddenly  fall  beneath,  and  con- 
sign my  body  to  unfiithomable  depths.  At  last  we 
came  to  the  top,  the  screeching  of  parrots  giving  a  sure 
indication  of  the  neighbourhood  of  a  bird-fancier's  shop, 
and  one  or  two  of  those  birds  outside  a  door  showed 
that  we  had  reached  our  destination.  The  room  when 
the  door  was  opened  presented  to  my  view  a  strange 
exhibition  of  lumber.  All  its  sides  were  blocked  up 
with  heaps  of  lumber,  a  narrow  space  being  left  for 
entrance,  and  slight  standing-room  in  the  middle. 
Boxes  of  cigars,  boxes  of  birds  ready  for  stuffing,  cases 
of  insects  and  feather  flowers,  and  rolls  of  pictures, 
were  the  chief  ingredients  of  the  stores  that  choked  up 
the  room. 

Some  parrots,  dragging  about  with  them  a  chain 
fastened  round  one  of  their  legs,  were  hopping  and  caw- 
ing about  the  room ;  but  Mr.  Youd,  without  ceremony, 
kicked  them  out  in  a  literal  sense  by  the  application  of 
his  foot,  to  prevent  them  from  biting  my  legs.  They 
were  however  too  hardy  for  the  kicks  to  produce  any 
visible  impression  upon  them. 

I  then  proceeded  to  look  over  the  saleables.  There 
w^ere  some  fairly  executed  pictures,  plain  and  coloured, 
of  the  harbour  and  town  of  llio  de  Janeiro  with  the 


-p  BRAZIL. 

environs,  but  they  were  far  too  dear.  They  were  cor- 
rectly enough  drawn,  but  they  by  no  means  reproduced 
the  matchless  tints  of  the  tropic  scenery.  The  plain 
ones  of  course  could  not  do  so,  and  the  coloured  ones 
were  mere  vulgar  daubs.  The  birds  in  this  room  were 
mostly  poor  specimens,  but  Mr.  Youd  said  I  was  a  day 
too  early.  To-morrow  he  expected  a  new  and  magnifi- 
cent assortment  of  birds,  and  indeed  he  wondered  they 
had  not  come  to-day.  It  was  such  a  pity  I  had  not 
waited  one  day  longer ! 

But  by  far  the  most  curious  portions  of  his  stock  were 
some  flowers  manufactured  from  the  scales  and  eyes  of 
fishes,  sprinkled  with  glass  beads.  In  a  ball-room  at 
night  they  would  have  all  the  beauty  of  tinsel,  and 
would  flash  with  uncommon  splendour.  These  flowers 
are  almost  entirely  made  at  St.  Catharine's,  an  island 
between  Rio  and  Monte  Video,  chiefly  celebrated  for 
the  quantity  of  beautiful  shells  that  come  from  thence 
to  Rio. 

About  a  mile  from  the  Palace  Square  lies  the  suburb 
of  Gloria,  where  are  some  public  gardens,  open  without 
any  fee,  and  worth  seeing.  There  are  no  rarities  in 
them,  but  there  are  some  cool  shady  walks,  fountains 
playing,  and  a  terrace  whence  you  look  down  on  the 
sea,  that  comes  rattling  in  among  the  pebbles  below  like 
a  cage  of  rattlesnakes.      The  walk  from   the  Palace 


GLORIA.  57 

Square  hither  is  by  no  means  pleasant,  leading  alter- 
nately through  miserable  streets  and  deep  sandy  parts, 
by  low  shabby  houses,  and  by  large  ugly  buiklings. 
There  is  a  landing-place  for  boats  in  the  bay  of  Gloria, 
just  under  the  minister's  residence,  which  in  fine  weather 
answers  well  enough,  and  saves  an  unpleasant  walk. 
But  in  rough  weather  there  is  such  a  surf  here,  that,  in 
editorial  language,  the  landing-place  is  "  not  available." 
The  most  comfortable  way  of  going  to  Gloria  is  in  a 
caleche,  but  this  you  will  find  dear;  for  though  the 
distance  is  only  a  mile,  the  charge  will  be  a  milree. 
The  one-horse  caleches  jolt  fearfully,  and  have  only 
room  for  one  person,  who  sits  by  the  side  of  the  driver, 
the  vehicle  being  a  gig  with  a  hood  to  it.  The  two- 
horse  conveyances  are  more  comfortable,  being  closed, 
and  accommodating  four  personages,  but  their  price  is 
raised  in  a  frreater  dcorree  than  their  convenience.  The 
average  charge  for  a  one-horse  caleche  is  a  milree  per  mile 
for  short  distances,  with  some  little  discount  taken  off 
after  the  first  mile.  I  believe  I  went  five  miles  for  three 
milrees  once,  that  is,  seven-and-sixpence,  a  sum  which 
even  a  cabman  in  England  would  be  shy  of  charging. 
There  are  moreover  lumbering  omnibuses,  or  rather 
omnibi,  that  run  from  Rio  into  the  country  ;  but  tliese 
I  always  shunned  as  seeming  springless,  unpainted,  and 
shady.     It  is  best,  if  you  have  any  journey  to  make,  to 


5S  BRAZIL. 

go  by  water  where  it  is  practicable.  You  can  go  to 
Botafogo  more  cheaply  in  one  of  the  steamers  than  on 
horseback.  You  can  get  a  shore-boat  for  a  milree, 
however  far  you  wish  to  go,  and  the  boats  are  much 
cleaner  and  pleasanter  than  the  caleches.  Walking  is 
not  agreeable  in  the  tropics,  and  the  roads  are  generally 
very  dusty. 

There  are  some  barracks,  or  rather  soldiers'  huts,  on 
the  road  to  Gloria,  in  front  of  which  stands  a  guard 
looking  foolish — like  a  guard,  in  fact.  The  doors  of 
these  dwellings  were  always  open,  and  the  soldiers  were 
never  more  than  half  dressed,  nor  always  so  far  advanced. 
We  had  therefore  the  opportunity  gratuitously  afforded 
us  of  inspecting  their  linen  and  wardrobes,  which  did 
not  seem  particularly  cleanly.  What  respect  can  the 
population  have  for  soldiers  whose  dirty  shirts  and  bad 
habits  are  thus  continually  shown  to  them!  What  an 
opening  is  here  for  a  democratic  disquisition  on  the 
fate  of  kings! 


BRING  FORTH  THE  HORSE.  59 


CHAPTER  Y. 

•BrJXO  FORTH  THE  HORSE — HORSES  AND  MULES — DON  WHISKERANDO 
—  BOTANICAL  GARDENS — JOHN  BULL  ABROAD — NEARLY  A  SHIP- 
WRECK —  COFFER-DAM  — REPAIRING  LEAKS  —  BRAOxVNZA— THE 
PIRATICAL  NATION. 

If  you  want  a  ride  out  of  Rio,  terminated  by  an  in- 
spection of  something  worth  seeing,  go  to  the  Botanical 
Gardens.  Your  first  step  is  to  procure  yourself  a  horse, 
which  is  done  by  going  to  Morrell's  in  the  Opera  Square, 
and  being  cheated.  The  proper  price  for  an  afternoon's 
ride  is  three  railrees ;  but  you  may  think  yourself  lucky 
if  you  are  not  charged  five.  However  there  is  no  alter- 
native, as  Morrell's  is  the  only  place  where  horses  are 
let  out  to  midshipmen. 

The  hacks  in  Rio  are  generally  of  an  inferior  kind.  I 
saw  only  one  that  had  any  pretensions  to  excellence,  but 
that  one  was  really  magnificent.  It  belonged  to  an 
English  horse-dealer,  and  was  of  English  breed.  Its 
master  let  out  inferior  beasts  by  the  day,  and  reserved 
that  one  for  his  own  especial  use.  The  mules  are  finer 
animals  to  look  on  than  the  horses,  and  they  have  fre- 
quently more  spirit  in  them ;  but  they  are  vicious  and 
spiteful,  and  will  frequently,  when  your  ride  is  over  and 


60  BRAZIL. 

you  are  walking  away,  aim  a  parting  kick  at  you.  They 
are  all  branded,  and  kept  clipped  and  trim,  while  the 
horses  are  overgrown  with  extraneous  hairs. 

On  going  to  Morrell's  for  my  horse,  I  found  the  master 
of  the  greatest  number  of  hacks  in  Rio  conversing  with 
a  tall  stranger  with  "  luxuriant  hair,  whiskers,  &c.,"  as 
the  advertising  columns  have  it.  The  &c,  probably 
referred  to  his  conversation,  which  was  remarkably 
fluent.  He  spoke  English  like  a  native,  and  acted  as 
an  interpreter  between  me  and  Morrell.  He  seemed  an 
oracle  on  all  matters,  knew  every  thing  and  every  body, 
talked  about  the  minister,  whom  he  designated  shortly 

and  famiharly  as  ''  H ,"  and  said  he  was  intimately 

acquainted  with  him,  as  much  so  probably  as  with  the 
horse-dealer.  Morrell  had  a  notion  that  I  was  sroino:  to 
the  Botanical  Gardens,  and  would  not  let  a  horse  go 
that  distance  for  less  than  five  milrees,  but  at  last  he 
relented,  and  took  four. 

Once  out  of  the  town,  I  set  off  at  a  quick  pace  along 
the  road  that,  winding  along  past  the  suburb  of  Gloria, 
led  to  the  picturesque  village  of  Botafogo.  This  village 
is  situated  at  the  head  of  a  lake-like  bay,  shut  out  and 
secluded  from  the  rest  of  the  harbour.  The  white 
cleanly  houses  are  screened  by  trees,  that  form  an  avenue 
along  the  street.  Nothing  was  stirring  throughout  the 
village.     I  alighted  at  the  door  of  a  little  cafe,  and 


THE  BOTANICAL  GARDENS.  61 

entered.  There  was  a  nice  little  garden  at  the  back  for 
dining  in,  but  no  display  of  any  thing  inside  save  a  few- 
bottles  of  wine  and  syrup.  In  one  shop  window  I 
noticed  some  fans  of  a  remarkable  kind,  strongly  made 
of  straw,  and  in  shape  much  resembling  the  back  view 
of  a  frying-pan.  They  were  somewhat  coarsely  plaited, 
and  cost  only  a  penny  each.  I  now  continued  my 
journey  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  at  a  rapid  canter,  that 
frequently  merged  in  a  gallop,  and  seldom  sank  into 
a  trot.  The  noonday  heat  was  just  now  excessive,  and 
no  sea-breeze  had  yet  sprung  up.  Here  the  Corcovado 
rose  menacingly  above  the  road,  sloping  up  from  the 
ground  till  it  attained  its  giant  height,  its  sides  covered 
with  trees,  whose  leaves  were  motionless. 

The  country  round  Rio  borrows  but  little  of  the  polish 
which  a  large  city  usually  affords  to  its  neighbouring 
places.  I  found,  within  a  very  few  miles  of  the  town,  a 
country  shop,  that  I  should  have  thought  uncivilized  if 
situated  in  some  of  the  small  bays  we  visited.  I  wished 
to  purchase  some  bananas  of  a  peculiar  quality  that  hung 
in  the  window  of  this  shop,  and  tendered  a  small  silver  coin 
in  payment.  But  the  man  was  ignorant  of  its  value,  and 
would  not  take  it,  being  only  accustomed  to  meet  with 
milree  notes  and  copper  pieces.  Just  before  you  arrive 
at  the  Botanical  Gardens  stands  a  way-side  inn,  where 
you  can  put  up  your  horse.     The  hostess  was  French, 


^2  BRAZIL. 

{xnd  when  I,  restored  from  a  parched  state  by  a  glass  of 
wine  and  water,  ordered  something  to  eat,  she  pressed 
upon  me  either  roshif  or  hiftek.  Evidently  she  was  one 
of  those  people  who  fancy  all  Englishmen  are  as  fat, 
red-faced,  and  apoplectic,  as  the  pictorial  John  Bull. 
Failing  in  her  endeavours  to  persuade  me  to  partake  of 
these  national  dishes,  which  could  hardly  be  eaten  even 
by  an  Englishman,  in  the  middle  of  a  scorching  tropical 
day,  she  brought  me  some  soup,  with  an  inch  of  grease 
floating  on  the  top,  and  some  doubtful  vegetables,  of 
adamantine  hardness,  below.  After  this  singular  meal 
I  walked  on  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  which  were  only 
a  few  steps  beyond. 

Passing  through  the  gate,  the  first  step  led  me  into 
a  broad  avenue  of  stately  palms,  that  spread  their  huge 
leaves  out  above,  each  casting  a  delicate  shade  upon  the 
earth  at  their  feet.  The  gardens  are  well  laid  out,  and 
there  were  smoothly  shaven  banks,  under  the  shadow  of 
luxuriant  foliage,  to  tempt  one  to  repose.  The  most 
really  curious  things  I  saw  were  some  moss  summer- 
houses,  most  fancifully  constructed,  with  seats  inside,  of 
an  artificial  rudeness,  where  the  delightful  coolness  of  a 
thick  forest  prevailed.  I  wandered  about  the  garden 
in  solitude,  admiring  the  flowers  and  the  pieces  of  water, 
but  feeling  as  much  alone  as  I  may  suppose  Adam  felt 
before  he  had  a  partner  to  whom  he  might  point  out 


THE  CORCOVADO.  63 

what  he  most  admired  in  his  garden.  Moreover,  being 
no  botanist,  I  did  not  know  which  flowers  ought  to  be 
most  admired;  and  I  fear  that  I  often  went  into  raptures 
at  the  sight  of  a  beautiful  flower,  when  I  ought  to  have 
been  gazing  at  an  ugly  one,  that  had  the  merit  of  being 
scarce.  The  same  reason  hinders  me  from  giving  a  long 
catalogue,  with  a  due  proportion  of  Latin  names,  of  the 
flowers  in  the  garden,  which  I  really  regret  my  inability 
to  construct.  There  is,  however,  a  simple  alternative 
for  my  botanical  readers.  Let  them  imagine  a  number 
of  Latin  names;  they  will  find  that  quite  as  interesting 
as  if  I  had  retailed  them,  and  such  things  are  better 
imagined  than  described,  as  novelists  say. 

As  I  rode  back,  the  sea  breeze  sprang  up,  and  shed  a 
fresh  life  into  the  landscape.  Every  thing  was  now  in 
motion.  The  birds  sang,  and  the  trees  that  clothed  the 
side  of  the  Corcovado  waved  their  rustling  branches. 
Two  little  lakes  that  I  had  passed  before,  lying  still  as 
glass,  were  now  covered  with  white  shreds  and  patches 
of  foam;  white  little  waves  broke  among  the  rushes,  as 
if  in  mimicry  of  ocean's  billows.  The  chain  of  moun- 
tains that  runs  behind  the  town  of  Rio  had  to  be  passed 
in  returning,  and  I  rode  through  a  mountain  gorge,  with 
the  Sugarloaf  on  one  side,  and  the  Corcovado  on  the 
other,  which  seemed  the  portal  of  a  new  world. 

I  will  here  introduce  a  chapter  on  an  event  that, 

F 


64  BRAZIL. 

though  taking  place  among  the  islands,  led  us  to  Rio. 
This  being  a  chapter  within  a  chapter,  needs  no  sepa- 
rate numbering,  but  is  prefaced  by  a  suitable  quotation : 

"When  ship  meets  rock,  then  comes  the  tug  of  war. 

OLD  PLAY  (upon  words.) 

Ere  we  had  been  a  month  on  the  station,  an  accident 
happened  that  materially  shortened  our  stay  in  these 
parts.  This  was  no  other  than  a  sudden  meeting  with 
a  sunken  rock,  which  one  we  "kissed"  as  a  ball  at 
billiards  kisses  another,  and  which  sliced  one  or  two 
of  our  planks  away  in  a  most  unexpected  manner. 

Briefly,  the  facts  were  these  :  We  had  anchored  off 
Villa  Grande  the  night  before,  and  weighed  early  in 
the  morning.  As  we  went  along  at  a  good  rate,  about 
eight  knots  an  hour,  with  full  steam  power  and  in 
smooth  water,  a  sudden  shock   made  the   vessel   heel 

over,  threw  C off  the  locker  on  which  he  had  been 

reposing,  and  awakened  the  purser  by  sending  some 
water  through  the  port  into  his  face. 

The  injury  was  at  first  thought  to  be  slight,  but  was 
Boon  discovered  to  be  quite  the  reverse.  The  captain 
sent  for  the  engineer,  and  asked  if  he  could  undertake 
to  keep  the  ship  afloat  by  means  of  the  engine  pumps 
till  we  got  to  Rio ;  if  not,  he  would  run  her  ashore. 
The  engineer  replying  that  he  would  answer  for  the 


KEARLY  A  SHIPWRECK.  G5 

pumps,  we  set  off  full  speed  towards  KIo,  with  all  our 
pumps  going. 

We  also  had  a  sail  fothered  for  the  purpose  of  draw- 
ing it  tightly  over  the  leak,  and  by  that  means  keeping 
the  water  out.  Any  one  who  stood  on  the  troop 
deck  near  the  leak,  might  hear  the  sound  of  the  water 
coming  in  like  the  roar  of  a  cataract. 

On  arriving  at  Rio  our  first  proceeding  was  to  lighten 
the  vessel  of  stores,  sails,  tanks,  and  spars.  A  negro 
diver  came  from  the  shore  to  go  down  and  examine 
the  state  of  the  planks,  and  his  report  was  humorous 
and  distressing. 

He  leapt  out  of  a  canoe,  and  plunged  downwards. 
After  he  had  disappeared  for  some  time,  he  came  up, 
and  when  the  due  amount  of  coughing,  gasping,  and 
panting  was  over,  he  cried  out : — 

"  Ver  bad !  ver  bad !  I  think  it  no  good  for  go  to  sea 
now  I"  This  was  not  much  information,  but  then 
followed  a  long  piece  of  Portuguese,  accompanied  by 
some  vigorous  tearing  and  clawing  the  air,  which  was 
found  out  to  signify  that  the  planks  were  quite  rotten, 
and  that  the  man  had  torn  away  a  good  deal  with  hia 
hands. 

We  next  got  a  pilot  to  take  us  to  a  sandy  bay  named 
Punto  d*Area,  lying  near  Braganza,  and  under  a  moun- 
tain known  by  the  name  of  Sir  Sidney  Smith's  Mount, 


66  BRAZIL. 

It  is  rumoured  that  this  mountain,  with  the  bay  adjoin- 
ing, was  given  to  Sir  Sidney  by  the  Brazilian  govern- 
ment, and  that  he  offered  it  to  our  own  government  to 
use  as  a  place  for  a  dockyard  if  they  liked,  but  they 
declined.  There  is  now  a  factory  here  belonging  to  an 
Englishman,  named  Dobson,  who  has  built  some 
steamers  for  the  Brazilian  navy. 

We  crossed  over  to  this  bay,  and  just  as  we  entered 
stuck  on  a  bank.  It  seemed  that  the  man  engaged  as 
pilot  knew  nothing  about  the  place,  and  when  re- 
proached, he  took  all  the  vials  of  wrath  poured  on  his 
head  with  dejection  but  composure. 

We  now  at  once  went  to  work  to  stop  the  leaks 
with  the  utmost  despatch.  We  got  an  iron  lump  or 
lighter  from  the  shore,  put  a  spare  anchor  and  some  of 
our  guns  into  it,  and  hove  the  vessel  as  far  down  as  she 
would  go.  The  starboard  side,  being  that  which  had 
received  all  the  injury,  was  as  much  lightened  as 
possible. 

Meanwhile  the  carpenters  were  on  shore  constructing 
a  coffer-dam.  The  sail  maker  was  equipped  in  the 
diving  dress  supplied  by  government  to  the  clerk  in 
charge  of  stores  at  Cobras,  which  consists  of  heavy 
clothing,  heavier  boots,  and  a  helmet,  with  large  glass 
eyes,  into  the  top  of  which  is  screwed  the  hose  that 
supplies  the  man  inside  with  fresh  air.     He  is   then 


A  COFFER-DAM.  «_ 

67 

lowered  down  by  a  rope,  of  course  sinking  naturally 
from  the  immense  weight  of  his  attire,  while  two  men 
continue  to  pump  fresh  air  to  him. 

He  took  with  him  some  pieces  of  wood,  wherewith  to 
measure  the  extent  of  the  different  leaks,  and  how  they 
were  situated,  so  that  the  coffer-dam  might  be  made  of 
the  same  angle  precisely  as  the  run  of  the  ship,  and 
might  be  closely  fitted  to  the  side.  When  he  had 
finished  these  operations,  he  shook  the  rope  and  was 
pulled  up. 

The  coffer-dam  was  a  sort  of  box  without  a  top,  and 
wanting  a  fourth  side.     Its  dimensions  were: — 

Length  20  feet 

Breadth 6  feet. 

Depth 10  feet. 

When  it  was  finished,  which  took  place  in  about  a 
week,  and  got  alongside,  hawsers  were  placed  under  the 
ship's  bottom,  and  fastened  to  the  bottom  of  the  coffer- 
dam, to  keep  it  down,  and  firmly  fixed  to  the  side.  To 
keep  it  up  we  had  our  runners  and  the  fish  tackle,  while 
there  were  two  fore  and  aft  hawsers  to  keep  it  in  its 
place. 

When  fixed  alongside,  it  was  pumped  out  by  means 
of  fire-engine  pumps,  men  also  helping  to  bale  it  out 
with  buckets.     When  completely  empty,  and  apparently 


68  BRAZIL. 

glued  to  the  ship's  side,  it  seemed  to  be  an  empty 
coverless  box,  with  the  ship  acting  as  its  fourth  side. 

The  carpenters  then  went  down,  put  a  new  plank  in 
the  first  leak,  caulked  and  coppered  it.  Then  the  diver 
went  down,  and  scrutinized  the  second  leak.  The  coffer- 
dam was  again  altered,  and  fitted  to  the  second  leak, 
the  same  process  as  regards  repair  being  gone  through 
as  before.  In  like  manner  the  third  leak,  and  then  all 
was  finished.  They  were  not  mended,  however,  quite 
effectually,  for  some  of  the  oakum  was  wet,  and  they  let 
in  a  little  water  ever  after. 

Once  during  our  stay  at  Punto  d'Area,  I  paid  a  visit 
to  Braganza.  Walking  round  Sir  Sidney  Smith's 
Mount,  we  came  to  the  neat  village,  and  entered  an  hotel 
to  play  a  game  of  billiards.  We  were  attracted  thither 
by  the  gate  posts,  on  which  were  painted  two  billiard 
cues  crossed  diagonally,  with  two  billiard  balls  above. 

Going  in,  we  found  a  fat  and  good-humoured  French 
lady  in  the  billiard  room,  through  the  medium  of  whom 
and  our  purses  we  got  a  bottle  of  sherry  and  the  use  of 
the  table.  While  we  enjoyed  our  game  the  French 
woman,  who  doubtless  considered  that  by  lending  her 
helping  hand  she  had  earned  the  privilege  of  freely 
criticizing  our  movements  and  looks,  commented  on 
every  thing  connected  with  us,  from  our  age  downwards. 
After  the  billiards  we  went  to  get  some  dinner,  and 


PIRATES,  PIRATES,  INGLEZE.  69 

became  acquainted  with  the  master  of  the  "  hotel,"  who 
was  also  a  Frenchman.  We  had  some  conversation 
together,  in  the  course  of  which,  after  touching  on  various 
topics,  we  got  to  the  Slave-trade,  on  which  subject  he 
grew  vehement,  and,  taking  up  the  last  number  of  a 
Brazilian  paper,  showed  us  an  article  wherein  the 
English  were  stigmatized  as  robbers,  pirates,  cut- 
throats, and  what  not,  because  the  Harpy  had  taken  a 
vessel  which  the  Brazilians  obstinately  chose  to  consider 
a  legal  trader.  The  hotel-keeper  shouted  out  "  Pirates, 
Pirates,  Ingleze!"  nor  did  we  contradict  him,  as  it  saved 
a  "  world  of  voice"  to  agree. 

After  dinner  we  sallied  forth  to  a  horse-keeper  s,  for 
the  purpose  of  procuring  quadrupeds,  and  found  there 
was  but  one  horse  obtainable.  We  tossed  up  for  the 
horse  with  a  sovereign  that  wanted  changing,  but  could 
not  find  its  proper  level.  The  beast  fell  to  my  com- 
panion's lot,  and  I  had  to  content-  myself  with  a  mule. 
But  when  we  got  into  the  country,  the  mule  was  dis- 
covered to  be  the  possessor  of  nobler  qualities  than  the 
horse,  whose  stubbornness  brought  our  ride  to  a  prema- 
ture end.  For  after  one  stick  had  been  broken  on  its 
back  without  producing  beneficial  results,  it  was  thought 
expedient  to  turn  back. 

The  landlord  wanted  us  to  sleep  at  his  hotel,  and  got 
insufiferably  prosy  in  attempting  to  persuade  us.    First, 


70  BRAZIL. 

there  were  no  boats  here !  We  were  going  to  Punto 
d'Area.  He  changed  his  tone,  and  endeavoured  to  im- 
press on  our  minds  the  several  facts  that  there  were  good 
beds  at  his  house,  and  that  it  was  very  dangerous  for  us 
to  walk  to  Punto  d'Area  at  that  time  of  night.  He 
mentioned  the  excited  state  of  the  feelings  of  the  inha- 
bitants, the  lonely  walk,  and  the  comforts  of  his  hotel, 
then  recurring  to  the  paper,  he  cried  out  ^'Pirates, 
Pirates,  Ingleze ! "  which  put  us  to  flight. 

By  moonlight  we  walked  to  the  place  desired,  nor  did 
we  tremble  at 

"  Motte  ad  lunam  arundinis  umbram." 

It  was  a  long  time  after  this  visit  ere  I  again  went  to 
Braganza ;  but  when  I  did  revisit  it,  I  was  seized  by  this 
fearful  bore  again.  While  he  was  prosing,  a  stranger, 
tall  and  distinguSjipassed  the  window,  nodding  to  the  hotel- 
keeper  in  his  way.  I  asked  who  the  person  was,  and 
he  said  it  was  an  Englishman,  who  was  the  captain  of  a 
slave  vessel,  and  had  made  seven  successful  trips  to  the 
coast.  The  stranger  was  a  fit  subject  for  romance,  being 
tall  and  slender,  with  light  and  curling  whiskers,  and 
the  tout  ensemble  of  a  darling  pirate,  or  a  Captain 
Canot. 


THE  BIGUT  HONOURABLE.  7  J 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE — OUT  IN  THE  COUNTRY — A  LITTLE  SLAVERY 
— WASHERWOMEN  —  A  BEAUTIFUL  SITUATION  —  ENGLISH  AND 
FOREIGN  SCENERY — THE  CORCOVADO — VIEW  FROM  THE  SUMMIT — 
APPEARANCE  OF  A  TIGER — THE  AQUEDUCT. 

It  happened  that  a  friend  of  mine  was  minister  at 
this  court,  or  rather,  to  use  the  technical  terms, 
Ambassador  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipoten- 
tiary. It  is  the  usual  custom  with  travellers  to  puft'  the 
people  who  have  entertained  them  while  abroad,  and  I 
will  not  be  the  first  to  depart  from  an  established  habit 
that  is  to  the  full  as  honoured  as  any  of  our  national 

institutions.     "  The  Right  Hon. ,  C.B.,  was,  during 

the  time  of  my  visit  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  installed  in  the 
honourable  post  of  ambassador,  and  had  received  from 
her  Majesty  the  Order  of  the  Bath.  Although  no  peer, 
this  gentleman  contrived  to  maintain  the  dignity  of 
England  in  a  suitable  manner.  To  say  that  the  slave 
trade  had  suiFered  many  diminutions  during  his  term  of 
power,  is  to  say  what  all  the  world  is  acquainted  with. 
To  say  that,  under  his  auspices,  the  Brazilian  govern- 
ment was  induced  to  take  strong  measures  for  the  sup- 
pression of  that  nefarious  traffic  in  human  flesh  that  haa 


72  BRAZIL. 

SO  long  disgraced  the  Brazilian  nation,  is  but  to  give 

him  due  praise.     In  addition  to  his  noble  town  residence 

at  Gloria,  in  which  dinners  and  repasts  of  a  sumptuous 

nature  are  often  given,  he  has  a  small  country  residence 

some  miles  from  town,  to  which  any  people  are  welcome 

to  go,  being  certain  to  be  received  with  due  hospitality. 

I  am  not  betraying  any  secrets,  or  leading  people  to 

expect  more  than  they  will  receive  by  this  merited 

eulogium,    since   the   right   hon.   gentleman   has   now 

quitted  the  Brazils,  and  therefore 

*  Praise  and  blame 
Fall  on  his  ear  alike.' " 

Such  is  the  strain  in  which  it  was  necessary  I  should 
write,  as  a  traveller. 

Being  invited  by  the  minister  to  spend  a  few  days  at 
his  country  residence,  I  left  the  "  Geyser'''  at  an  early 
hour,  the  noonday  heat  being  prejudicial  to  riding.  All 
things  in  the  tropics  begin  to  stir  at  an  uncomfortably 
early  time,  so  that,  on  landing  at  six  a.m.,  I  found  the 
shops  open,  and  business  in  active  progress.  I  went 
with  a  negro  to  an  English  horse-dealer  in  a  small  street 
adjoining  the  Eue  d'OuvidoI*.  This  person  was  a  man 
of  some  money,  who  had  some  good  horses  for  landsmen, 
and  some  bad  ones  for  naval  officers.  Ordinarily  he  did 
not  let  horses  to  the  Navy,  but  could  be  induced  to 
relent.    As  Mr.  H had  left  orders  with  him  to  supply 


OUT  TS  THE  COUNTRY.  73 

me  with  a  horse,  he  kindly  provided  me  with  the  worst  he 
had,  on  my  proving  my  identity.  I  rode  out  of  the 
town  with  a  "  nigger"  for  a  guide  and  porter. 

Hoisting  my  carpet-bag  into  the  basket  that  rested 
on  his  head,  the  negro  set  forth  at  a  round  trot  through 
the  streets.  We  passed  through  Gloria,  and  then 
quitting  the  town,  left  behind  us  all  knowledge  of  the 
road  to  be  pursued.  The  world  was  all  before  us  where 
to  choose,  and  the  negro  did  not  like  to  have  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  choice.  He  therefore,  wisely  enough, 
lagged  behind.  Being  forewarned  as  to  his  ignorance, 
I  had  "got  up"  a  sentence  of  Portuguese  to  be  fired  off 
at  the  head  of  any  one  I  met,  and  I  here  transcribe  it  as 
1  delivered  it,  not  vouching  for  the  grammar  or  spelling : 
"  Adonde  viva  il  ministro  Ingleze  ?  " 

I  found  this  sentence  very  serviceable. 

We  passed  through  the  little  village  of  Laranjeiras, 
with  its  white  houses  and  dark  foliage  in  the  back- 
ground, where  I  saw  a  pretty  tableau  in  front  of  a  noble 
mansion.  A  diminutive  negro  boy  dressed  like  a  page, 
sat  playing  with  a  large  dog.  The  boy's  round  chubby 
face  seemed  as  contented  as  the  dog's  body,  that  was 
alive  with  delight.  The  joyous  wagging  of  the  tail  in  a 
half-subdued  manner,  the  briskness  of  his  yawns,  and 
the  hanging  tongue  that  licked  his  companion's  hand, 
showed  that  the  animal  was  steeped  in  pleasure  from 


74  BRAZIL. 

head  to  foot,  half-dreamy  pleasure,  such  as  the  lotus- 
eaters  could  have  entered  into. 

If  I  am  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  any  Americans  of 
the  pro-slavery  class  for  my  readers,  I  feel  certain  that 
they  vy^ill  point  to  this  passage,  and  deduce  from  thence 
proofs  of  the  beneficial  results  of  slavery.  They  will 
point  to  England,  and  say,  ^'Look  at  your  labourers' 
sons,  are  they  petted  and  well-treated  like  this  slave? 
Have  not  they  hard  work,  little  food,  no  education? 
Are  not  they  liable  to  tyranny  from  every  body  ?  "  &c. 
&c.  &c.,  to  the  length  that  Americans  can  go  in  reason- 
ing. But  one  petted  child  is  a  poor  offset  against  hun- 
dreds of  men,  beaten  and  ill-used.  The  same  boy,  when 
he  grows  up,  will  probably  be  set  to  harder  work  than 
that  to  which  English  labourers  are  subject,  and  will  be 
the  more  unfitted  for  it  from  his  early  training.  A  man 
whose  life  must  be  spent  in  hard  labour,  would  be  better 
trained  for  it  by  exertions,  than  by  luxury  in  his  youth. 
Let  the  American  '' ladies"  say  what  they  will  about 
"white  slavery,"  and  the  condition  of  our  milliners  and 
dressmakers,  the  misery  in  England  is  caused  only  by 
a  class,  that  in  America  is  caused  by  a  nation.  In 
America,  it  is  misery  legalized;  in  England  it  comes  from 
poverty,  and  is  altogether  independent  of  the  State. 
We  do  what  we  can  to  remedy  it;  in  Amerioa  they  pre- 
fer to  do  nothing. 


WASHERWOMEN.  7l» 

Leaving  the  village  behind,  I  came  into  a  broad  sandy 
road,  on  one  side  of  which  ran  a  purling  stream,  broken 
to  music  by  the  stones  in  its  course.  Some  women  were 
hard  at  work  washing  linen  in  this  brook,  and  I  was 
amused  by  an  inspection  of  their  proceedings.  They 
take  their  place  by  a  good-sized  rock,  and  after  sousing 
the  linen  thoroughly,  commence  to  thump  it  upon  the 
rock  with  as  much  energy  as  a  schoolmaster  employs  to- 
wards his  pupils.  They  then  lay  the  clothes  on  the 
rock,  and  pound  them  with  a  smaller  stone,  as  if  they 
were  braying  them  in  a  mortar.  No  wonder  that  linen 
does  not  stand  many  such  washings,  but  goes  into  pre- 
mature decay  and  rags.  Water  has  the  same  effect  on 
linen  in  the  Brazils,  as  gin  and  water  has  on  men  and 
women  in  another  country. 

While  I  stopped  here,  my  guide  came  up,  having 
joined  a  band  of  compatriots,  with  whom  he  raised  a 
sing-song  chorus,  that  did  not  sound  like  one  of  Uncle 
Tom's  favourite  methodist  hymns.  They  advanced  in  a 
jog-trot,  that  made  my  carpet  bag  dance  and  rattle  in 
the  basket,  where  it  was  placed  aloft.  This  basket  did 
not  seem  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and  looked  at 
any  time  ready  to  let  my  goods  fall  through  one  of  the 
innumerable  holes  in  its  fabric. 

A  sudden  turn  up  a  steep  and  rugged  bank,  where 
there  was  barely  room  for  the  horse's  feet,  led  us  oiFthe 


76  BRAZIL. 

main  road  into  a  l)road  path,  with  trees  around,  that  con- 
ducted to  my  destination. 

The  beauty  and  freshness  of  the  morning  had  invested 
all  things  with  new  life.  The  leaves  were  greener,  and 
the  path  more  cheerful ;  the  birds  sang  merrily  around, 
the  humming-birds  dazzled  the  eye  by  their  rapid  iflight, 
and  their  colours  that  glittered  in  the  sun.  Butterflies 
of  every  tint  hovered  about,  and  the  harsh  whistle  of 
the  large-winged  beetle  resounded  sharply  through 
the  woods.  Now  was  the  time  when  the  mom 
was  in  its  dewy  freshness,  when  the  beams  of  the 
sun  had  not  attained  full  power,  and  shone  only  with- 
out scorching.  Idleness  and  rejoicing  seemed  to  be 
the  order  of  the  day.  What  a  pleasant  contrast  to 
England ! 

As  I  rode  on,  each  turn  of  the  path  presented  new 
beauties.  At  one  time  I  beheld  the  giant  mountain 
frowning  down  upon  me,  its  bare  rocky  summit  bursting 
through  the  green  foliage,  like  the  Beast  when  he  ap- 
peared from  among  the  flowery  thickets  to  the  astonished 
father  of  Beauty.  Anon  I  saw  a  white  cottage  peeping 
from  among  palm  leaves  and  coffee  shrubs,  or  a  valley 
with  a  thin  white  line  of  streamlet  running  through  it 
amongst  the  clusters  of  palms,  that — 

"Broad  at  base,  and  tap'ring  upwards,  did  extend  their  leafy  arms." 


A  BEAUTIFUL  SITUATION.  77 

The  broad  path  ended  by  a  gateway,  passing  through 
which  I  came  to  the  minister's  residence,  that  bears  the 
name  of  ^*The  Spot."  It  is  not  large,  being  only  a 
cottage,  but  so  exquisitely  situated  that  one  cannot 
wonder  if  the  minister  preferred  its  retirement  to  the 

"  Fumum  et  opes  strepitumque  Kiotis," 

which  I  suppose  would  be  the  genitive  case  of  Rio. 

"  The  Spot"  is  situated  on  a  flat,  halfway  up  a  hill,  and 
a  valley  runs  beneath  it  to  the  sea,  between  two  moun- 
tain ridges,  that,  not  being  parallel,  render  the  valley 
quite  narrow  at  the  furthest  point  from  the  cottage,  and 
give  only  a  limited  view  of  the  harbour.  At  the  back  of 
"  The  Spot "  appears  the  peak  of  the  Corcovado.  In  one 
comer  of  the  grounds  that  appertain  to  it,  is  a  large  rock, 
hollowed  out  to  form  a  bath,  and  on  the  summit  of  this 
rock  stands  an  enormous  tree,  overshadowing  a  nook 
composed  by  an  angle  of  the  rock,  and  allowing  a  shower 
bath  to  be  suspended  from  one  of  its  branches.  In  the 
bottom  of  the  valley  below  the  cottage  a  streamlet  ran, 
and  was  caught  in  a  stone  reservoir,  that  was  being  made 
into  a  swimming  bath. 

The  walks  about  were  most  beautiful,  under  the  shade 
of  trees  heavy  with  fruit,  among  bushes  dotted  with  red 
coffee-berries,  or  where  the  cactus  came  coursing  down 
over  huge  boulders.    Although  I  am  obstinately  addicted 


78  BRAZIL. 

to  admiring  English  scenery,  yet  the  novelty  of  this 
tropical  richness  was  perfectly  fascinating.  Why  all 
English  people  should  underrate  their  own  country,  and 
boast  that  she  possesses  no  scenery  or  natural  attractions, 
I  cannot  imagine.  It  seems  rather  the  fashion  at 
present  for  Englishmen  to  abuse  England.  Squallen, 
who  is  a  great  friend  of  mine,  is  always  attacking  Eng- 
land, and  considers  that  she  can  have  no  honour  or 
beauty  to  boast  of,  if  placed  alongside  any  other  country. 
Not  only  is  she  personally  inferior  to  all  other  nations, 
but  her  sons  are  equally  so.  Squallen's  reasons  for  this 
disparagement  are  obvious.  He  considers  himself  an 
average  specimen  of  his  countrymen. 

In  one  of  these  walks  I  was  cutting  a  stick,  when  a 
swarm  of  ants  crept  up  me  to  see  what  I  was,  and  I  felt 
them  all  biting  at  once,  all  over.  These  were  the  small 
red  ants,  whose  bite  is  remarkably  acute;  the  black  ants 
are  larger,  and  of  them  I  cannot  speak  from  experience. 
You  see  them  sometimes  crawling  along  obscured  by  a 
leaf  twice  their  size,  under  which  they  walk  in  the  shade, 
invisible  to  mortal  eye. 

A  short  distance  from  "The  Spot "  was  the  commence- 
ment of  the  aqueduct  that  runs  into  Eio.  The  water 
runs  down  from  the  Corcovado,  and  is  received  into  a 
sort  of  stone  trench.  Men  were  at  work  here,  hewing 
out  stone  and  forming  baains  for  the  water  to  run  through. 


THE  COBCOVADO.  79 

Mounting  above  them,  I  came  to  where  the  water  was 
rushing  down  in  its  self-made  channel,  leaping  from 
rock  to  rock,  while  some  loitered  behind,  and  became 
domesticated  in  a  little  pool  or  cranny.  These  latter  are 
the  curates  and  country  incumbents,  who  retreat  from 
the  world  to  their  quiet  cottages,  trellised  with  roses  and 
a  network  of  creepers,  rural  retreats  where  Tfie  Times 
never  pierces.  But  still  the  main  stream  rushes  on, 
following  the  track  of  its  ancestors,  and  striving  for 
fame,  till  swallowed  by  some  "  thirsty  soul,"  when  it 
quietly  forgets  all  its  ambition,  and  allows  itself  to  be 
lulled  to  rest,  acknowledging  the  vanity  of  its  former 

struorales. 

00 

January  29th. — Ascended  the  Corcovado  in  company 
with  one  of  the  ministei-'B  servants,  who  was  deputed  to 
show  me  the  way.  We  were  both  mounted ;  I  was  on  a 
horse,  he  bestrode  a  mule.  We  turned  out  of  the 
broad  path  that  led  to  the  aqueduct,  up  a  stony  and 
uneven  road,  passing  by  some  desolate  houses.  After- 
wards our  way  led  us  zigzag  up  the  hill,  through  woods 
thick  with  luxuriant  creepers,  and  brakes  of  wild  beauty. 
Butterflies  of  a  most  exquisite  blue  hovered  about,  and 
seemed  by  their  hardihood  to  provoke  a  chase,  till, 
wheeling  off,  they  disappeared  from  our  sight  among  the 
mazes  of  the  w^ood.  The  path,  though  made  zigzag  to 
facilitate  one's  ascent,  was  yet  steep,  and  in  one  place  a 

G 


80  BRAZIL. 

fallen  tree  completely  blocked  up  the  passage.  My 
horse,  unaccustomed  to  such  places,  when  making  a  cir- 
cuit through  the  bushes  to  avoid  this  obstacle,  ran 
vehemently  against  another  tree,  and  caused  a  concus- 
sion that  was  far  from  pleasant.  After  some  time  spent 
in  surmounting  the  ascent,  we  emerged  from  the.  wood, 
and  found  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  a  rock  with  iron 
stanchions  arouncj.  Dismounting,  I  fastened  my  horse 
to  one  of  them,  and  stood  on  the  summit  of  the  Corco- 
vado. 

But  how  can  you  describe  the  sight  that  bursts  upon 
your  senses  ?  To  the  right  spread  the  wide  expanse  of 
the  Atlantic,  whose  foam-crested  waves  were  rippling 
and  dashing  merrily  against  the  base  of  the  island  of 
Redonda,  that  raised  its  hoary  head  on  high,  out  of  the 
blue  water.  In  front,  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  was 
blocked  up  by  the  bare  Sugarloaf,  whose  height  seemed 
as  nothing  in  comparison  to  the  giant  dimensions  of  the 
mountain  whose  summit  I  had  reached.  And  from 
thence  the  blue  ocean,  whose  surface,  never  monotonous,' 
was  now  interspersed  with  small  dots  of  white,  like- 
snow-flakes  on  a  green  plain,  spread  till  joined  to  the  ocean 
hung  on  high,  the  clouds  on  whose  breast  were  white 
as  the  crests  of  the  waters  beneath.  Nearer  to  the 
shore  the  sea  was  light  green,  of  an  exquisite  tint  and 
transparency,  and  more  than  one  lake,  divided  from? 


TIEW  FROM  THE  SUMMIT.  81 

the  sea  by  banks  of  white  sand,  seemed  a  miniature  of 
the  neighbouring  ocean.  The  tastefully  managed  trees 
of  the  Botanical  Gardens,  and  the  more  luxuriant  foliage 
that  chmbed  the  mountain  sides,  with  the  peaks  that 
rose  above,  were  fair  features  in  this  scene  of  loveliness. 

Such  was  one  side — on  the  other  was  spread  the  har- 
bour, bristling  with  forests  of  masts,  and  dotted  with 
islands,  among  which  white  sails  were  swiftly  gliding. 
The  immense  buildings  of  the  town  looked  noble,  now  so 
far  removed,  and  the  village  of  Braganza,  seemingly  in 
a  green  basin,  was  like  a  diamond  set  in  a  wide  circlet 
of  gold. 

The  peak  of  the  Corcovado  slopes  gradually  towards 
the  plain  to  the  northward  and  eastward;  but  to  the 
southward  it  is  precipitous,  and  a  man  leaning  against 
the  old  and  rusty  iron  stanchions,  and  looking  down,  is 
apt  to  feel  rather  nervous.  The  height  of  the  mountain 
is  estimated  at  2306  feet.  A  chasm  of  about  twelve 
feet  in  width,  and  thirty  in  depth,  separates  the  extreme 
pinnacle,  which  rises,  a  huge  mass  of  granite,  perpendicu- 
larly on  the  outside  more  than  1000  feet.  As  tradition 
relates,  some  barbarous  middies,  landing  for  a  frolic,  took 
an  unfortunate  mule  to  this  place,  and  hurled  it  down 
this  precipice  of  1000  feet,  for  mere  fun.  Some  say  it 
was  a  donkey  they  threw  down;  but  I  am  inclined  to 
tliink  that  the  only  animal  of  that  species  was  the  person 


82  BRAZIL. 

who  did  so  absurd  and  cruel  a  deed.  A  bridge  is  laid 
across  the  chasm;  but  it  requires  some  nerve  to  be  able 
to  cross,  for  it  consists  but  of  a  few  planks,  rotten  and 
rickety,  with  no  sort  of  handrail.  The  summit  of  the 
pinnacle  is  not  more  than  a  dozen  or  fourteen  feet 
square.  The  only  drawback  to  my  day's  pleasure 
was  the  weather,  which  was  somewhat  windy  and 
cloudy. 

After  a  long  gaze  we  commenced  our  descent.  The 
path  at  first  was  so  steep,  that  I  preferred  trusting  to 
my  own  legs  rather  than  to  the  horse's,  and,  surrendering 
my  bridle  into  the  guide's  hands,  I  commenced  walking. 
On  a  down-hill  course,  walking  speedily  degenerates 
into  running,  which  was  awkward,  and  would  have  been 
impossible  but  for  a  water-course  in  the  middle  of  the 
path,  worn  away  by  the  water  rushing  down  in  rainy 
weather.  Now  it  was  perfectly  dry,  and  the  stones 
served  to  retard  my  progress  whenever  this  was  faster 
than  was  expedient.  When  we  were  half-way  down 
the  hill,  a  sudden  clearing  in  the  wood  presented  me  a 
new  and  different  scene.  The  town  and  harbour  were 
hidden  by  a  small  hill,  and  in  place  of  them  there  was 
an  expanse  of  plain,  diversified  by  small  elevations,  and 
undulating  most  gracefully. 

The  next  day  ended  my  visit,  and  I  returned  on 
board. 


APPEARANCE  OF  A  TIGEB.  «« 

It  was  some  time  ere  I  again  visited  ^*The  Spot"  and 
its  neighbourhood,  not  till  the  month  of  August.  On 
calling  at  "  The  Spot"  I  found  that  the  minister  had  gone 
into  the  country  to  shoot  "  tigers."  It  appeared  that  a 
'*  tiger"  (id  est,  a  panther)  had  appeared  near  a  house 
and  frightened  a  child  (which  seemed  the  most  natural 
thing  in  its  power,  and  the  most  harmless),  and  now 
several  people  were  desirous  of  shooting  the  beast. 
From  *'  The  Spot "  I  proceeded  towards  the  aqueduct, 
with  the  intention  of  riding  to  the  town  by  its  side. 
Some  men  were  at  work  hollowing  out  large  reservoirs, 
who  stopped  to  look  at  me,  and  ask  if  I  was 
''  Ingleze." 

The  water  runs  along  the  aqueduct  towards  Rio  with 
a  most  refreshing  sound,  and  the  turf  on  the  path  by  its 
side  is  soft  and  springy.  From  the  path  the  hill  goes 
abruptly  down,  but  the  precipice  is  concealed  by  trees, 
and  beautiful  herbage. 

As  I  rode  onward,  butterflies,  attracted  by  the  sound 
of  the  horse's  feet,  flew  forth  to  reconnoitre  the  stranger, 
birds  peeped  forth  from  the  leaves,  and  tiny  bright 
humming-birds,  arrayed  in  green  and  gold,  warbled  soft 
accents  from  every  leafy  spray.  The  heat  of  the  sun 
could  not  penetrate  **  so  cool  a  brake,"  and  the  grass  was 
green  and  the  flowrets  fresh  as  some  fair  country  maiden 
unpolluted  by  the  pomp  and  glare  of  the  world. 


84 


BRAZIL. 


Soothing  too  was  the  sound  of  the  water,  as  by  the 
wayside,  it 

"  Ran,  a  fair  stream  with  a  musical  waste. 
And  gurgled  away  with  the  liquidest  sweep," 

as  Lowell  says  of  Willis.  The  path  along  the  aqueduct 
is  simple  enough,  and  you  land  in  Kio  near  the  suburb 
of  Gloria.  Here  the  aqueduct,  that  like  Fame,  "  virea 
acquirit  eundo,"  crosses  the  road,  raised  on  large  white 
pillars,  that  would  b^  dazzling  if  they  were  only  cleaner. 


BAHIA  DOS  T0D08  OS  SA2JT0S.  QJ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BAHIA — TRAVELLING  IN  GENJilRAL — PARISIAN  SIGHTS — THE  CONVENT 
— FEATHER  FLOWERS — LIVE  ANIM^VXS— OPERA  HOUSE  AND  HOTEL 
— TO  THE  DIGGINGS  FOE  BEEF — QUAVA  JELLY — A  CATAMARAN. 

The  real  name  of  Bahia  is  not  Bahia,  but  St.  Salvador. 
It  stands,  however,  on  the  shores  of  the  Bahia  dos  Todos 
OS  Santos  (Bay  of  all  Saints),  and  has  thence  borrowed 
the  cognomen  by  which  it  is  generally  known.  It  is 
noticeable,  however,  that  the  city  has  left  the  bay  in 
undisturbed  possession  of  all  its  Saints,  which  is  rather 
a  singular  fact,  since  the  city  wants  them  more  than  the 
bay.  Perhaps,  however,  with  a  convent,  churches  full  of 
tinsel  ornament,  and  streets  full  of  dirt,  the  city  is  holy 
enough.  It  looks  beautiful  certainly  from  the  bay ;  but 
when  you  land  in  it  you  find  no  variation  from  the 
general  appearance  of  Brazilian  towns.  It  would  be 
easy  to  find  a  simile  for  this  state  of  things  in  the 
Brazilian  religion.  The  bay  when  we  entered  was  alive 
with  fish,  skipping  about  familiarly ;  in  total  disregard  of* 
the  boats  that  darted  amongst  them.  The  vessels  at 
anchor  were  mostly  merchantmen,  dirty  and  unwieldy, 
while  one  or  two  men-of-war  were  interspersed,  looking 


86  BRAZIL. 

doubly  neat  and  clean  from  contrast  with  the  lubberly 
traders. 

There  are  some  handsome  buildings  in  the  town,  the 
grandest  being  the  Opera-house  and  Hotel,  built  on  a 
rock,  as  if  destined  for  warlike  purposes.  It  seemed  fit 
that  this  building  should  first  catch  the  eye,  being  the 
representative  of  this  present  world.  The  burial-ground 
was  the  second  conspicuous  object,  the  dark  green 
shades  of  the  funeral  trees  setting  off  the  white  of  the 
tombs,  and  giving  an  air  of  solemn  repose  to  the  habi- 
tation of  the  dead. 

Soon  as  our  anchor  was  dropped,  a  clerk  came  from 
one  of  the  English  merchants  in  the  city  to  receive  our 
orders.  He  was  an  Irishman,  whose  natural  properties 
had  been  somewhat  toned  down  by  the  business  ho 
followed,  and  by  his  constant  intercourse  with  strange 
people.  All  men  must  gain  something  by  travelling. 
Perhaps  your  first  edition  of  travelling  is  not  so  profit- 
able as  the  second,  because  you  go  with  your  eyes  shut, 
and  in  entire  ignorance  of  ^^what  to  observe."  But 
when  you  come  home,  and  meet  with  persons  talking 
about  France,  Germany,  or  whatever  country  you  may 
happen  to  have  passed  through,  you  naturally  attempt 
to  share  in  the  conversation,  and  find  that,  while  going 
through  a  country  with  your  eyes  half  shut,  you  have 
not  picked  up  any  knowledge  that  you  can  retail  to 


PARISIAN  LIGHTS.  87 

inquirers.  Consequently,  when  you  travel  again,  your 
wits  are  sharpened  by  a  desire  of  shining  in  society,  and 
you  manage  to  pick  up  pieces  of  information  that  prove 
afterwards  of  some  service.  A  man  who  goes  to  Paris, 
and  "  does "  the  sights  recorded  in  Galignani's  guide- 
book, simply  knocks  himself  up,  and  carries  away  with 
him  a  confused  idea  of  the  Louver,  Notter  Dam,  and 
other  interesting  exhibitions.  ^Yimt  a  hideous  absurdity 
is  that  custom  of  going  straight  through  such  a  picture 
gallery  as  the  Louvre,  yawning  and  gaping  in  the  face 
of  Eubens,  Murillo,  and  Raffaelle,  when  you  have  no 
taste  for  pictures,  know  nothing  about  a  focus,  perspec- 
tive, or  richness  of  tint !  Yet  a  person  who  had  been  at 
Paris,  and  could  not  boast  of  having  seen  every  thing, 
would  be  considered  a  very  eccentric  character. 

Perhaps  this  Irish  clerk  had  been  induced  to  shake 
off  some  of  his  Hibernian  peculiarities  by  intercourse 
with  the  Brazilians,  who  seem  in  some  respects  a 
degenerate  race  of  Irishmen.  I  will  not  insult  our 
neighbours  over  the  channel  by  tracing  the  points  of 
resemblance. 

We  questioned  this  man  about  the  beauties  and 
salcables  of  the  place.  To  all  our  questions  he  returned 
such  cautious  answers,  as  almost  to  falsify  the  old  say- 
ing:— 

"  Cceltun,  non  animum,  mutant,  qui  trans  mare  currunt.** 


88  BRAZIL. 

His  genuine  Irish  nature  was,  however,  only  concealed 
beneath  this  outer  garment,  as  the  nature  of*  the  ass  lay 
hidden  under  the  skin  of  the  lion.  A  civet  cat  that  we 
had  taken  on  board  at  Rio  was  running  about  the  deck. 
Though  naturally  a  harmless  animal^  it  had  a  strange 
fancy  for  smelling  people's  boots,  and  gnawing  the 
extremities  of  their  trousers.  It  approached  the  Irish 
stranger  with  this  intention.  Fancying  that  it  was  a 
dangerous  customer,  he  sprang  on  the  bulwarks,  and 
howled  at  it  in  wild  Irish,  till  the  first  lieutenant, 
attracted  by  his  yells  and  our  laughter,  came  on  deck 
to  stop  the  commotion. 

The  next  day  we  commenced  coaling.  Large  lighters 
wete  towed  alongside,  which  was  no  easy  matter,  as  the 
current  runs  with  extraordinary  swiftness. 

None  of  this  disagreeable  duty  fell  to  my  lot,  so  I 
was  able  to  land  with  some  messmates.  We  first  walked 
to  the  convent,  which  lies  outside  the  town,  and  entered 
for  the  purpose  of  buying  some  powers.  The  discipline 
here  was  far  laxer  than  was  the  case  at  the  Madeira 
nunnery.  The  chief  nun  positively  conversed  with  one 
of  our  guides  through  an  open  doorway,  with  much 
apparent  familiarity,  just  as  if  she  had  been  an  ordinary 
mortal.  The  bars  of  the  grate  that  separated  the  nuns 
from  the  world,  as  represented  by  visiters,  were  so  wide 
apart  that  we  could  see  the  forms  and  dresses  of  those 


TILE  (X>NVENT.  89 

inside  with  the  greatest  ease.  None  of  them,  with  the 
exception  of  the  superior,  wore  any  black  garments,  or 
any  uniform  convent — ual,  or  —  ional,  but  were  clothed 
in  dirty  white.  They  were  chiefly  half  mulattoes,  old 
and  hideous;  only  one  was  young  and  pretty.  She 
looked  languishingly  at  us  through  the  bars,  as  a 
penance  no  doubt.  It  is  plain  that  she  could  not  have 
been  discontented ;  nuns  never  are,  so  they  say.  What 
a  grim  satire  is  that,  then,  which  calls  so  many  Qonvents 
"  Our  Lady's  House  of  Woe."  Could  you  devise  a  fitter 
name?  ' 

Not  that  I  object  to  convents ;  on  the  contrary,  I  con- 
sider them  excellent  institutions — for  the  ugly  and 
unmarriageable.  But  they  should  be  kept  under  strict 
laws,  by  which  beauty  should  be  rendered  a  disqualifica- 
tion. Fancy  how  admimbly  the  world  would  go  on,  if 
old  maids  of  crabbed  dispositions  might  be  immured  on 
the  petition  of  their  relatives  I  You  might  have  in 
reserve  a  terrible  punishment  for  flirtation.  A  noverca 
who  ill  used  her  husband's  children  might  be  suddenly 
huxried  off*  to  the  convent.  In  fact,  you  might  make  a 
most  useful  engine  of  state  by  legislating  for  convents. 
But  beware  that  you  do  not  carry  it  to  excess,  and 
make  it  as  terrible  as  the  Inquisition. 

We  went  into  a  small  waiting-room  outside  the  grate, 
and  deluged  with  feather  flowers.     An  old  and  diligent 


90  BRAZIL. 

woman,  and  an  old  and  diligent  man,  vied  with  each 
other  in  bringing  in  boxes  of  flowers,  and  strewing  them 
on  the  floor.  They  continued  this  till  we  were  hemmed 
in  completely,  and  could  not  have  moved  without  tread- 
ing upon  the  flowers.  We  were  hke  shipwrecked  sailors 
on  a  rock  that  was  being  slowly  covered  by  the  tide. 
The  nuns  too,  with  eager  exclamations,  flung  flowers  to 
us  through  the  bars,  or  handed  them  on  a  long  wooden 
spoon.  The  spirit  with  which  they  entered  into  bar- 
gaining showed  that  this  traffic  was  their  sole  amuse- 
ment, and  they  held  up  their  fat  fingers  to  show  the 
number  of  milrees  required  for  each  separate  article. 

The  flowers  here  are  cheaper  than  at  Eio,  but  the 
assortment  is  not  so  extensive.  No  camelias  were  to  be 
seen,  but  carnations  and  other  simple  blossoms  abounded. 
As  far  as  I  could  judge,  in  make  they  were  quite  as 
good  as  any  we  had  seen  at  Rio;  they  are  moreover 
cheaper,  and  as  the  money  received  by  the  nuns  is  used 
for  charitable  purposes,  it  is  better  employed  than  in 
makino^  one  individual's  fortune. 

From  the  convent  we  retraced  our  steps  to  the  town, 
and  found  ourselves  before  long  in  a  shop  that  glittered 
with  stuffed  humming-birds.  These  were  cheap  enough  ; 
specimens  that  in  Rio  cost  two  and  even  three  milrees  each 
were  here  sold  for  four  milrees  a  dozen.  Here,  too,  we 
found  some  straw  baskets  like  beehives  turned  upper- 


LITE  AN  IMA  I^.  91 

most,  the  straw  being  very  neatly  plaited,  and  of  divers 
colours. 

We  then  came  to  the  market-place,  the  abode  of  dirt, 
and  never-ceasing  tumult.  Negroes  and  Brazilians, 
buyers  and  sellers,  were  screaming  at  the  top  of  their 
voices  for  no  apparent  reason :  women  were  jabbering 
and  gesticulating :  parrots  were  screaming,  and  making 
vain  attempts  to  sing  or  speak ;  dogs  were  barking,  and 
monkeys  chattering  in  a  never  ending,  still  begin- 
ning clamour.  Some  of  the  monkeys  were  worth  buying, 
and  were  bought  accordingly.  The  parrots  are  total 
failures.  Those  we  purchased  were  quarrelsome  wretches, 
who  would  not  speak,  but  stormed,  squalled,  and  bit 
with  ferocity.  They  were  generally  green;  we  only 
met  with  one  that  was  grey,  and  wore  a  red  top-knot. 
The  grey  parrots  are  by  far  the  most  valuable,  and  can 
mostly  talk,  if  their  youthful  minds  have  been  trained, 
and  their  youthful  voices  cultivated.  Green  parrots  are 
hopeless.  If  they  can  talk  at  all,  though  this  is  not 
usual,  their  stock  of  words  is  limited. 

Perhaps,  on  the  recommendation  of  a  half-English 
negro,  who  says,  "Die  fellow  talk  well,  massa,"  you 
purchase  a  green  parrot.  For  many  days  he  is  simply- 
sulky,  bites  your  finger  if  you  endeavour  to  coax  him, 
and  screams  from  morning  to  night,  or,  what  is  worse, 
from  night  to  morning.    Then,  after  many  days'  care  and 


92 


BRAZIL. 


petting,  your  expectations  are  realized.  The  mouth 
opens,  and  in  a  hoarse  yell,  he  gives  vent  to  the  word 
"  Pop-a-gai-o."  This  is  his  whole  vocabulary.  The 
word  is  Portuguese  for  parrot,  so  that  the  bird  repeats 
only  its  name  in  an  egotistical  manner.  But  it  has  this 
excuse,  that  many  living  men  of  repute  do  exactly  the 
same.     Perhaps  the  parrot  had  been  in 's  society. 

The  negresses  who  sell  vegetables,  eggs,  and  other 
commodities  in  the  market,  are  in  general  scantily 
clothed,  some  being  naked  down  to  their  waists.  One 
negress  had  two  little  marmozet  monkeys  clinging  to 
her  neck,  and  climbing  over  her  shoulders  in  a  manner 
that  seemed  unpleasant.  When  asked  about  them  she 
dragged  them  forth,  and  again  deposited  them  in  the 
same  place  with  remarkable  coolness. 

I  now  mounted  a  sedan  chair.  These  vehicles  consist 
of  a  common  chair,  which  is  fastened  to  a  few  boards, 
with  a  pole  running  beneath  them.  It  is  hoisted  on  the 
shoulders  of  two  bearers,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  curtain, 
which  you  button  when  you  are  inside.  I  never  felt  myself 
safe  in  such  a  conveyance,  since  it  would  not  be  difficult 
for  it,  topheavy  as  it  was,  to  slip  round,  and  turn  a 
somersault.  The  bearers,  too,  have  an  uncomfortable 
trick  of  going  sideways,  like  Mr.  Winkle's  horse,  espe- 
cially when  descending  a  hill. 

The  upper  part  of  the  town,  and  the  streets  halfway 


OPERA-HOUSE  AND  UOTEL.  93 

down  the  hill,  are  clean  and  respectable,  but  those  at 
the  bottom  are  narrow  and  ill  kept,  partaking  of  the 
general  nature  of  Brazilian  streets.  I  alighted  at  the 
door  of  the  hotel,  and  went  in  to  dine.  While  waiting 
for  this  repast,  I  gazed  out  of  the  window,  that  "  com- 
manded" (to  use  the  language  of  the  handbooks)  "  an 
extensive  and  noble  prospect  of  land  and  sea,  the  restless 
ocean  contrasting  well  with  the  immoveable  and  solid 
earth." 

The  bay  was  calm,  dotted  with  ships  lying  in  a  ma- 
jestic repose,  whilst  amongst  them  glided  light  feluccas 
and  smaller  boats.  The  sea  far  away  was  also  calm. 
It  was  a  strange  transition  from  that  mirror-like  surface 
to  the  curious  medley  of  houses  and  roof  beneath.  They 
lay  in  strange  disorder,  as  if  they  had  been  dancing  to- 
gether, and  could  not  get  extricated.  An  occasional 
opening  gave  me  a  glance  into  one  of  the  lower  streets, 
dirty  and  commercial.  Exactly  below  the  window  from 
which  I  was  gazing,  the  rock  on  which  the  hotel  was 
built  went  sheer  and  smooth  down,  so  that  if  the  hotel 
was  besieged,  nothing  need  be  dreaded  from  that  quarter. 

When  the  waiter  came,  with  a  look  of  imbecility 
and  a  dirty  napkin,  to  receive  my  orders,  I  asked  for 
some  lemonade  to  counteract  the  heat  of  the  day.  We 
all  know  what  lemonade  in  England  means.  Lemon- 
ade in  Brazil  means  a  thick  sweet  syrup,  that  is  drink- 


94  BRAZIL. 

able  when  amply  diluted  with  water,  and  flavoured  by 
a  dash  of  something  more  potent.  Even  then  it  is 
only  "puir  sweet  stuff,"  and  was  never  intended  for 
quenching  thirst  on  a  boiling  day.  Brazilian 
waiters,  and  not  only  waiters,  but  also  shopkeepers, 
have  a  vile  habit  of  tantalizing  customers,  by  asking 
them  if  they  want  some  article  that  cannot  be  supplied. 
If  you  go  into  a  shop  and  ask  for  lace,  the  shopman  will 
ask  you  first  whether  you  want  that  kind  of  lace  that 
he  does  not  keep.  You  may  generally  conclude  that, 
when  a  Brazilian  asks  you  if  you  wish  for  French  lace, 
he  has  not  got  any.  In  the  same  way  the  waiters  at 
this  hotel  made  my  mouth  water  by  imitating  the 
effervescing  lemonade,  from  the  preparatory  fizz  to  the 
pop  of  the  cork,  but  when  a  bottle  of  this  was  ordered,  I 
learnt  •  that  they  had  none.  Unfortunately,  though 
your  mouth  may  water,  your  throat  is  as  dry  as  ever, 
and  I  had  to  make  up  for  the  loss  of  real  lemonade  as 
I  best  could. 

While  I  still  waited  for  dinner,  gazing  at  the  bottles 
of  sour  wine  that  ornamented  a  table  spread  for  a  select 
party  that  dined  there  daily,  a  Brazilian  of  the  higher 
orders  appeared,  and  accosted  me  in  English.  He 
asked  me  for  the  last  news  from  Monte  Video,  where 
one  of  the  usual  disturbances  was  then  taking  place, 
and  said  Oribe  had  better  betake  himself  to  England, 


TO  THE  DIGGnTGS  FOR  BEEF.  95 

and  dig  up  beef  and  potatoes.  The  waiter  stood 
by,  looking  attentive,  drinking  in  all  this  discourse, 
with  his  mouth  wide  open,  and  his  features  fixed  in  a 
state  of  reverential  wonder.  When  the  Brazilian  de- 
parted, the  waiter  nodded  to  me,  as  much  as  to  say, 
**  There's  a  wonderful  man,  sir !  If  that  man  don't  know  a 
thing  or  two,  don't  call  me  waiter!"  I  inquired  the  name 
of  thi3  man,  who  had  such  a  singular  notion  about  beef. 
Of  course  his  name  was  Silva,  which  seemed  an  appro- 
priate name  for  him,  and  he  had  been  minister,  or  consul, 
or  something  in  England. 

My  dinner  now  appeared  with  grease  enough  float- 
ing about  it  to  make  a  candle  with,  or  give  a  day's  meal 
to  a  Russian. 

I  then  descended  the  hill,  and  went  to  the  shop 
of  an  English  merchant,  the  shop  being  that  in  which 
our  Irish  visiter  of  the  preceding  day  officiated. 
Looking  from  one  of  the  windows  of  this  place  towards 
the  sea,  I  saw  a  yard  in  which  was  confusion  worse 
confounded.  Large  pans  for  boiling  sugar  were  thrown 
carelessly  together,  piled  on  each  other  like  Pelion  and 
Ossa  in  miniature,  some  dirty,  some  half  full  of  water, 
and  some  ventilated  like  the  Irishman's  hat,  by  having 
no  bottom  at  all. 

Before  returning  on  board  I  went  to  a  shop  for  some 
guava  jelly.     The  Brazilian  guava  jelly  is  not  soft,  like 

H 


96  BRAZIL. 

that  coming  from  the  West  Indies  but  hard  and 
glutinous.  More  of  it  can  be  eaten  than  of  the  West 
Indian  jelly,  before  prejudicial  consequences  ensue. 
It  is  preserved  in  tin  cases,  and  in  boxes  marked  with 
the  words  goiaba  emmassa,  in  blue  or  red  ink,  ac- 
cording as  the  price  is  one  or  two  milrees.  The  best 
preserved  fruit  to  be  met  with  in  Brazil  is  the  preserved 
lime.  These  are  somewhat  dear,  but  will  repay  the 
purchase.  Those  that  I  brought  home  gave  great  and 
general  satisfaction — especially  to  the  agent  who 
packed  them  for  me  at  Woolwich. 

On  going  to  the  ship,  I  found  her  in  a  sad  state 
of  confusion.  They  had  just  finished  coaling,  and  the 
decks  were  still  black  and  carboniferous.  The  vessel 
was  being  prepared  for  immediate  sailing,  which  led  to 
immense  bustle  and  flurry.  The  bumboat  was  along- 
side full  of  parrots,  going  at  a  dollar  each.  They  were 
all  squalling  and  squabbling,  their  dulcet  notes  being 
re-echoed  by  those  already  on  board.  Each  had  a 
separate  note,  so  that  the  discord  arising  from  their 
yells  was  like  an  orchestra  out  of  tune,  or  the  House  of 
Commons  on  the  night  of  an  Irish  debate.  I  bought 
one  parrot,  that,  on  coming  into  my  possession,  vin- 
dicated its  independence  so  lustily,  that  I  was  but 
too  glad  to  hand  it  over  to  some  less  squeamish 
purchaser. 


A  CATAMARAir.  97 

There  is  a  lighthouse  on  a  point  of  the  Bahia  dos 
Todos  OS  Santos,  conspicuous  from  its  height  and 
position.  The  diamond  mines  are  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  this  city,  though  too  far  in  the  interior  for  any 
of  our  oflScers  to  visit  them.  Diamonds  are,  naturally 
enough,  cheap  in  Bahia,  and  outside  one  shop  I  saw  a 
set  of  very  handsome  diamond  studs,  somewhat  recklessly 
exposed.  Outside  Bahia  we  saw  two  men  fishing  on  a 
catamaran — a  rude  apparatus  made  of  some  logs  or 
planks  joined  together,  with  clumsy  sails.  They  forge 
along  somehow,  though  with  no  swiftness  or  grace, 
and  are  chiefly  used  in  crossing  a  heavy  surf  that  is 
impassable  by  ordinary  boats. 


98  BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

RIO   DE  LA  PLATA — MONTE  VIDEO — FACTS  FOR  NAVAL   OFFICERS — 
CARVED  OSTRICH  EGGS — CARDINALS — THE  ALLIANCE. 

To  be  sent  down  to  Monte  Video  is  sometimes  con- 
sidered a  treat,  and  sometimes  an  annoyance,  by  H.M. 
ships  and  vessels  of  war.  To  go  down  merely  as  the 
bearer  of  despatches  that  require  an  immediate  answer, 
and  so  lead  to  your  immediate  return  to  Eio,  is  by  no 
means  pleasant.  Officers  generally  are  in  the  habit  of 
thinking  that  their  ship  ought  to  stay  long  enough  in 
such  an  important  place  to  admit  of  leave  being  granted. 
But  admirals,  and  even  captains,  do  not  hold  the  same 
opinion  as  to  the  comfort  of  their  officers.  The  result 
is,  that  ships  are  frequently  hurried  away  from  port 
long  before  the  officers  have  acquired  the  slightest 
knowledge  of  its  manners  and  customs,  and  thus  they 
have  the  hardship  of  travelling  without  being  allowed  to 
profit  by  it.  Whether  they  would  profit  by  it  or  not  if 
left  to  themselves,  is  quite  another  thing ;  yet  it  would 
he  as  absurd  to  restrain  boys  from  learning  the  classics 


BIO  DE  LA  PLATA.  99 

at  school,  because  they  get  no  advantages  from  that  study, 
as  it  would  be  not  to  allow  people  a  chance  of  doing 
what  they  don't  do  habitually. 

Our  first  visit  to  Monte  Video  was  decidedly  a  "  bore." 
We  went  with  provisions  for  the  ships  lying  there,  and, 
having  delivered  our  cargo,  returned  at  once  to  Rio, 
without  having  any  opportunity  of  landing.  On  our 
second  trip  we  had  better  luck. 

After  a  five  days*  passage  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  we 
entered  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  or,  in  English,  the  River 
Plate.  No  two  shores  were  discernible,  bounding  the 
stream  on  either  side,  so  that  we  could  only  learn  our 
situation  from  the  muddy  colour  of  the  water.  One 
bank  afterwards  came  in  sight ;  but,  as  the  other  was 
still  hidden,  we  might  conclude  that  the  river  Plate  was 
in  the  same  predicament  as  the  Thames  in  Mr.  PufTs 
celebrated  tragedy,  and  had  got  both  its  banks  on  one 
side.  At  one  in  the  afternoon  we  passed  the  small  island 
of  Lodos,  lying  nearly  opposite  to  the  bay  of  Maldonado, 
where  repose  the  bones  of  the  old  Agamemnon.  This 
island  is  low,  and  much  frequented  by  seals.  A  reef 
extends  from  it  to  the  southward,  which  side  is  generally 
chosen  by  vessels,  though  we  went  to  the  northward. 

Evening  closed  upon  us  as  we  steamed  up  the 
river,  and  a  small  pampero  burst  on  it  with  all  the 
fury  that   could   be   comprised   in   its  littleness.      It 


100  BRAZIL. 

swooped  down  with  all  the  raacour  and  impotence  of  a 
Bowles  against  Pope.  The  whole  surface  of  the  river 
was  white  for  the  moment,  turned  into  a  sheet  of  seeth- 
ing foam,  and  the  gust  howled  through  the  rigging  and 
the  spars.  But  in  a  moment  it  was  all  over,  leaving 
no  trace  of  injury  upon  the  vessel  it  had  attacked. 
Some  little  barks  have  sunk  under  the  influence  of 
such  storms.  A  schooner,  cruising  one  beautiful  night, 
was  struck  suddenly  by  a  pampero,  and  whelmed  in 
the  sea,  that  resumed  the  next  moment  its  former  calm- 
ness. All  was  as  before,  save  that  one  solitary  vessel, 
which  had  vanished  from  the  world,  leaving  no  traces  of 
its  existence  upon  the  fickle  ocean. 

Then  the  cheerful  light  of  Flores  beamed  upon  us. 
In  a  passage,  marked  equally  by  beauties  and  affectations, 
like  every  other  passage  of   his  poem,  a  young  poet 


"  We  cannot  see  the  lighthouse  in  the  gloom, 
We  cannot  see  the  rock ;  but  look  !  now,  now, 
It  opes  its  ruddy  eye,  the  night  recoils, 
A  crimson  line  of  light  runs  out  to  sea, 
A  guiding  torch  to  the  benighted  ships." 


I  doubt  whether  I  shall  be  pardoned  easily  for  introdu- 
cing this  criticism,  since  travellers  are  expected  to  talk 
only  of  foreign  things,  just  as  sailors,  in  which  term 
naval  officers  are  frequently  included,  are  supposed  to 


MONTEVIDEO.  101 

know  nothing  whatever  about  the  literature  of  any 
period,  except  James's  Naval  History,  and  Marryatt's 
jiovel. 

Passing  Flores  with  its  light  still  gleaming  out  of  the 
darkness  like  a  diamond  from  the  recesses  of  a  mine,  we 
came  to  an  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Monte  Video.  The 
night  was  stormy;  wind,  rain,  thunder  and  lightning, 
imited  to  render  the  position  of  officer  of  the  watch  re- 
markably uncomfortable.  In  a  small  ship,  that  has  no 
poop  under  which  the  dripping  watchers  may  take 
refuge,  a  wet  night  is  always  uncomfortable ;  while  in  a 
large  ship  we  might  have  been  snugly  ensconced  by  the 
wheel,  taking  our  coffee,  or  whatever  the  lieutenant 
might  *^  stand,"  in  a  jovial  manner. 

The  bay  of  Monte  Video  is  large,  and  affords  a  home 
to  numerous  fish  and  seals.  It  is  dangerous  for  boat- 
sailing,  being  subject  to  violent  squalls,  which  render 
it  necessary,  that,  in  naval  parlance,  you  should  keep 
your  weather-eye  lifting,  and  your  lee-sheet  in  the  same 
readiness.  The  anchorage  in  the  bay  is  in  four  and  a 
half  fathoms ;  in  the  harbour  the  water  is  a  little  shal- 
lower. The  river  has  been  surveyed  by  Captain  Peter 
Heywood,  when  in  command  of  the  Nereus,  and  his  re- 
marks were  sent  to  Lloyd's.  He  is  memorable  as  having 
been  one  of  the  mutineers  of  The  Bounty,  though  perfect- 
ly free  from  any  criminal  deed  or  purpose.     The  naviga- 


102  BRAZIL. 

tion  of  the  river  is  intricate  from  the  numerous  banks 
and  shoals.  There  are  enough  from  Monte  Video  to 
the  sea,  but  from  Monte  Video  to  Buenos  Ayres  there 
are  more  than  enough.  Opposite  Flores  light  is  a  bank 
known  by  the  name  of  English  Bank,  which  seems  a 
familiar  acquaintance  of  many  merchant  vessels,  who  fin(^ 
a  temporary  resting-place  upon  it.  The  men-of-war  who 
lie  here  make  small  fortunes  by  the  salvage  accruing 
from  the  merchantmen  that  they  rescue  from  this  bank. 
One  of  the  surest  landmarks  to  ships  entering  the  River 
Plate  is  the  island  of  Castelhos,  lying  about  twenty  miles 
from  Cape  St.  Mary's.  When  far  off,  this  island  takes  the 
appearance  of  a  brigantine  under  sail,  and  is  accordingly 
conspicuous  to  nautical  eyes.  Ships  can  go  within  a  mile 
of  this  island,  and  can  even  pass  between  it  and  the 
mainland,  if  they  wish. 

On  landing  in  the  town  of  Monte  Video  I  was  at  once 
struck  by  the  neatness  and  regularity  of  the  streets, 
that  bear  the  strongest  possible  contrast  to  the  filthy 
streets  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  or  Bahia.  The  chief  curiosities 
to  be  got  there  are  Guacho  spurs,  or  stirrups.  I  bought 
a  pair  of  iron  spurs,  huge  unv/ieldy  tliliigs,  whose  rowels 
alone  equalled  in  size  the  whole  projecting  part  of  an 
English  spur.  The  richer  Guachos  are  in  the  habit  of 
using  silver  spurs  and  stirrups,  and  saddles  elegantly 
inlaid  with  silver.     Several  of  these  were  shown  me  in 


CARVED  OSTRICH  KGGS.  108 

a  shop  I  passed,  and  were   trulj  gorgeous,  but  most 
exorbitant  in  price. 

I  had  procured  myself'  an  English  guide  in  the  person 
of  a  little  boy,  the  son  of  a  man  who  kept  a  shop 
for  the  sale  of  grog,  bread,  and  butter.  Under  the 
guidance  of  this  boy  I  went  up  to  the  market-place  to 
purchase  some  cardinals.  In  the  way  I  saw  some  ostrich 
eggs  in  a  window,  and  went  into  the  shop  to  examine 
them.  The  people  of  Monte  Video  have  a  wonderful 
knack  of  carving  on  ostrich  eggs,  verses,  or  accounts  of 
battles  in  which  the  British  arms  figured  successfully. 
I  purchased  one  of  these  marvels  of  science,  which 
bore  the  following  verses  on  its  surface: — 

"Not  a  laugh  was  heard,  not  a  joyous  note, 
As  our  friend  to  the  bridal  we  Imrried : 
Not  a  wit  discharged  his  farewell  shot, 
As  the  batchalour  went  to  be  married.'* 

"  Sweet  maid,  ere  we  part, 
Give,  oh,  give  nic  back  my  heart! 
Or,  since  that  has  left  my  breast, 
Keep  it  now,  and  take  the  rest." 

Although  there  is  not  much  poetical  value  in  these 
lines,  one  of  the  words,  moreover,  being  spelt  out  of 
the  common,  yet  I  was  ready  to  accept  the  work  as  a 
curiosity  of  literature.  If  the  carver  wanted  a  parody 
on  the  "Burial  of  Sir  John  Moore"  he  might  have 


104  BRAZIL. 

chosen  advantageously  the  first  four  lines  of  Thomas 
Ingoldsby's  ballad  that  commences, 

"  Not  a  sou  had  he  got,  not  a  guinea  or  note, 
And  he  looked  confoundedly  flurried, 
As  he  bolted  away  without  paying  his  shot, 
And  his  landlady  after  him  hurried." 

Arriving  at  the  market-place,  I  bought  some  cardinals 
at  a  dollar  each.  The  birds  that  bear  this  name  are 
excellent  songsters,  and  are  very  rare.  They  derive 
their  name  from  a  red  topknot  on  their  heads,  and  from 
that  only,  I  fancy,  as  they  are  not  at  all  corpulent,  and 
as  the  air  of  England  does  not  well  agree  with  them. 
In  fact,  many  of  them  died  on  the  passage  home,  finding 
the  north  too  cold  for  their  tender  bodies.  Perhaps 
cold  was  not  the  only  cause,  as  Monte  Video  itself  was 
as  cold  as  any  weather  we  had  met  with  in  England 
that  winter.     Possibly  the  sea  voyage  slew  them. 

Our  visit  to  Monte  Video  happened  just  before  the 
grand  crisis  of  the  wars  that  were  going  on  between 
Rosas  and  the  Brazilians;  and,  not  long  after,  that 
redoubtable  chieftain  had  to  take  refuge  on  board  of  one 
of  our  men-of-war.  Several  fine  French  frigates  were 
lying  here,  one  a  black  double-banked  vessel  with  an 
admiral's  flag.  We  amused  ourselves  by  speculating 
on  the  results  that  would  take  place  here  in  event  of  a 
war  with  France.     Naval  officers   used  to  be  always 


THE  ALLIAUCB.  105 

speculating  on  a  war  with  France,  till  we  had  got  the ' 
war   with   Russia   instead,   and   this   present   glorious 
alliance.     Esto  perpetual   such  is  the  fervent  wish  of 
every  one,  particularly  of  those  who  think  the  example 
of  the  French  will  make  England  a  Catholic  country ! 


106  BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER  TX. 

ST.  VINCENTS — UNCIVIUSATION — COME,  MT  LAD,  AND  DRINK  SOME 
BEER  ! — BILLIARDS — ASPECT  OF  THE  ISLAND — ST.  ANTONIO — THE 
ROVER — A  COURT  MARTIAL. 

Pekhaps  St.  Vincents  is  not  justly  ranked  among 

Brazilian  towns,  but  I  must  take  the  liberty  to  place  it 

with  them  here,  since  it  is  even  worse  than  the  vilest 

specimens  of  its  class  in  Brazil.     It  lies  in  17°  North 

latitude,   and   25°    West   longitude,   not  far  from  the 

coast  of  Africa.     The  principal  bay  in  it  is  that  on 

ft 
whose  shore  is  situated  the  town,  Porto  Grande.     At 

the  entrance  to  this  bay  is  a  curiously  shaped  rock, 
named  Bird  Island,  rising  in  a  conical  form  from  the 
water  to  some  height.  Birds  are  always  wheeling  about 
its  summit,  and  fish  cluster  about  its  base.  The  bay  is 
shallow,  and  I  therefore  give  the  bearings  of  our  anchor- 
age, which  was  in  3i  fathoms. 

Bird  Island  N.  W.  by  W,  I  W. 

Fort  S.  E.  ^  S. 

Point  resembling  a  Bottle  W.  I  N. 

The  appearance  of  the  island,  as  viewed  from  the  sea, 
is  any  thing  but  promising.     What  hope  is  held  out  by 


ST.  Vincent's.  107 

barren  and  rocky  tracts,  that  cover  the  island,  not 
allowing  an  inch  to  trees  or  fertility  ?  The  town  itself 
consisted  of  a  few  small  and  meagre-looking  houses,  hud- 
dled together  on  the  beach,  like  starving  children. 

The  steamers  that  run  to  the  Cape  and  to  the  Brazils 
touch  here  for  coal,  consequently  there  are  some  semi- 
English  on  the  island — this  barbarous  spot,  rising  in  the 
midst  of  the  laughing  ocean  like  a  black  patch  on  a 
robe  of  snowy  loveliness.  One  of  these  men  came  off  in  a 
boat  with  potatoes  and  half  dry  bananas  for  sale,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  only  saleable  commodities  that  the 
place  could  afford.  We  returned  to  the  shore  in  his 
boat,  which  he  made  us  pay  for,  saying  that  it  was  not 
his  own,  which  was  probably  false.  The  poverty  of  St. 
Vincent's  sharpens  the  wits  of  the  inhabitants.  We 
found  on  landing  that  the  place  was  even  poorer  than  it 
seemed  to  be. 

The  houses  are  low  and  dirty,  and  the  general 
wretchedness  of  the  town  was  conspicuous  every  where. 
The  universal  barrenness  of  the  country  behind  wearied 
the  eye,  accustomed  to  the  stately  palms  or  broad-leaved 
banana-trees  that  overshadowed  Brazilian  residences. 
It  was  strange,  after  looking  upon  Brazil  as  the  climax 
of  dirt  and  discomfort,  to  find  nearer  home  a  place  far 
less  civilized.  Nature,  too,  that  is  so  liberal  to  the 
dwellers  in  the  tropics  as  to  shower  every  thing  in  her 


108  BRAZIL. 

gift  upon  them,  has  done  as  little  here  towards  promot- 
ing the  comfort  of  the  inhabitants,  as  if  she  had  followed 
their  example. 

We  went  to  a  place  dignified  by  the  name  of  an  hotel, 
and  to  our  great  astonishment  found  a  billiard-table 
there ;  on  this  we  took  courage.  St.  Vincent's  is  evi- 
dently "  not  so  bad  as  it  seems."  We  take  up  a  cue 
apiece,  rather  heavy  at  one  end,  as  much  pointed  at  the 
oth^r  as  if  they  were  intended  for  spears,  and  very  brittle. 
We  make  an  insane  attempt  to  chalk  them,  and  begin  a 
game,  which  we  abandon  after  half  a  dozen  strokes.  The 
cues  are  so  thin  and  fragile  that  you  cannot  make 
a  stroke  of  any  force  or  nicety ;  the  balls  are  so  cracked 
and  perverse  that  they  won't  make  a  canon,  and  consider 
going  into  the  pocket  a  personal  degradation;  and  the 
table  seems  to  be  composed  of  loose  boards,  along  which 
the  balls  do  not  roll,  but  jump  with  convulsive  hops, 
raising  dust  at  every  step. 

We  were  at  once  disheartened  at  this,  and  turned  to 
the  bar  of  the  hotel,  where  a  quantity  of  beer  was  dis- 
played in  primitive  bottles.  The  bar  of  the  hotel  and 
the  billiard-room  were  all  in  one,  situated  on  the  ground 
floor  in  its  most  literal  sense,  there  being  not  the  least  at- 
tempt at  a  floor  between  our  feet  and  the  earth.  The  beer 
was  tried,  and  was  without  exception  the  most  nauseous 
stuff  ever  concocted^  beating  into  the  shade  all  Brazilian 


COME,  MY  LAD,  AND  DRINK  SOME  BEER  !  109 

wine,  or  aqua  ardente,  "  He  who  drinks  beer  thinks 
beer/*  says  the  proverb.  If  any  one  thought  this  beer,  I 
don't  envy  him  his  meditations.  Oh  Juvenal !  how  could 
you  dare  to  assert  that  poison  is  only  to  be  found  in 
golden  cups? 

"Nulla  aconita  bibuntur 
Fictilibns ;  tunc  ilia  time,  cum  pocula  sumes 
Gemmata ;  et  lato  Setinum  ardobit  in  auro." 

1  doubt  whether  a  more  deadly  poison  could  have 
been  quaffed  than  the  contents  of  these  humble  vessels. 

When  we  came  to  reckon,  we  found  the  billiards  were 
not  expensive,  being  only  threepence  a  game ;  but  the 
beer  was  half-a-crown  a  bottle  I  What  an  apt  pupil 
had  the  god  of  thieves  in  the  vender  of  this  poison ! 

When  we  left  the  hotel,  we  found  there  was  nothing 
to  do,  and  nothing  to  buy.  We  wanted  to  ride.  No 
horses  or  mules  could  be  got  for  us  to  day,  as  the  people 
who  let  them  required  always  a  day's  notice,  and  the 
asses  that  abounded  throughout  the  town  were  not  in 
the  habit  of  being  ridden.  We  wanted  to  buy  some 
vegetables  or  fruit,  and  could  get  nothing  for  a  long 
time,  till  a  public-spirited  man.  consented,  as  a  great 
favour,  to  sell  us  some  at  merely  double  their  value. 

Sick  of  the  town,  its  knavery  and  poverty,  we  went 
into  the  country  on  a  tour  of  observation.  It  is 
romantic,    but    barren,    like    certain    novels.      There 


110  BRAZIL. 

stood  behind  the  town  a  rocky  hill  of  remarkable 
appearance,  various  holes  showing  through  it ;  so  that  it 
might  have  answered  the  purpose  of  a  dozen  young 
people  of  the  Pyramus  and  Thisbe  class  at  once,  if  they 
could  have  stood  upon  each  other's  shoulders.  But 
this,  the  most  remarkable  part  of  the  island,  was  as 
barren  as  every  thing  else ;  nowhere  did  we  meet  with 
the  slightest  approach  to  fertility.  Not  even  the  half 
dry  bananas  sold  here  are  the  island's  own  productions. 
All  the  fruits  and  vegetables  they  have  come  from  the 
neighbouring  island  of  S.  Antonio,  which  lies  in  close 
proximity  to  this,  and  is  only  a  trifle  more  fertile.  An 
English  consul  resides  here,  and  I  am  not  in  the  least 
insincere  when  I  state  that  I  pity  him  heartily. 

At  night  I  was  on  deck  with  some  others,  watching 
the  shore  as  it  appeared  under  the  pale  beams  of  a 
young  moon.  A  small  sandy  beach  in  another  part  of 
the  bay  assumed  beneath  this  light  the  form  of  a  town, 
as  if  it  were  the  magic  ^^ castle  of  St.  John"  in  the 
Bridal  of  Triermain.  The  same  deceptive  appearance 
had  once  a  serious  effect  on  one  of  her  Majesty's  ships. 
H.  M.  brig  Rover  coming  into  this  bay  at  night,  and 
having  no  one  on  board  who  knew  aught  about  the 
situation,  ran  on  shore,  the  captain  seeing  this  beach 
under  its  sublunar  aspect,  and  running  down  towards  it. 
Before  they  had  got  far,  the  vessel  stuck  fast,  as  the 


A  C0X7KT-MARTIAL.  Ill 

water  in  this  bay  shoals  very  rapidly.  The  Rover  was 
soon  got  oflf  again  without  much  injury,  and  I  suppose 
no  court-martial  was  held.  If  there  had  been  one,  the 
captain  would  have  been  reprimanded  slightly,  and  the 
master  dismissed  from  the  service.  Such  at  least  is  the 
usual  result  of  a  naval  court-martial. 


112  BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CRUISING! RESULTS   OF  A  CAPTURE — GEORGI  GREGO — LEAF  FROM  A 

middy's  NOTE-BOOK — WOOD,   FISH,  AND    JUNGLE — PARROTS — THE 
OCEAN,  VIEWED  IN  ITS  POETICAL  ASPECT. 

Our  first  cruising  ground  was  to  the  south-west- 
ward of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  stretching  from  about  the 
island  of  Marambya  to  the  bay  of  Santos,  and  thus 
occupying  a  spread  of  nearly  an  hundred  miles.  Our 
duties  of  course  were  simple  enough,  and  consisted  in 
having  to  search  the  vessels  we  saw  if  they  were  sus- 
picious, and  to  capture  all  that  came  within  the  slave-trade 
law*  This  duty  seemed  at  first  to  promise  some  excite- 
ment. We  pictured  to  ourselves  a  schooner  flying 
under  all  sail  towards  some  harbour  that  might  give  her 
refuge,  heeling  over  under  the  breeze,  and  slashing 
along  leaving  a  wake  of  foam  behind  her,  while  close 
astern  came  the  "  Geyser  "  with  all  her  sails  spread,  and 
a  cloud  of  smoke  going  upward  fi:'om  her  funnel,  as  her 
paddles  churned  the  sea  into  seething  foam,  clearing  her 
way  triumphantly  onwards,  and  fast  nearing  the  flying 
slaver.  Hark !  the  boom  of  a  gun,  and  the  flash  of  fire 
leaps  out  from  the  muzzle  of  the  discharged  thirty-two 


BESULTS  OJ  A  CAPTURE.  113 

pounder,  while  darting  out  of  the  wreaths  of  smoke, 
that,  having  jumped  forth  actively  enough,  lose  their 
vigour  in  an  instant,  and  hang  idle  a  few  yards  off,  a 
black  object  speeds  swiftly  across  the  intervening  space, 
and  splashes  into  the  sea  close  astern  of  the  schooner. 
The  water  flies  up  in  a  miniature  spout.  But  this  does 
not  bring  the  fugitive  to  stop.  Again  a  shot  flies  forth, 
and  this  time  a  white  gash  on  the  vessel's  side  tells  that 
it  has  hit  the  mark.  A  monotonous  yell  arises  from  the 
negroes.  A  few  more  shots,  and  the  schooner  heaving 
to,  is  boarded,  and  declared  a  prize  to  her  Britannic 
Majesty's  steam  sloop  "Geyser."  Some  time  after, 
Messrs.  Navy  Agents  and  Co.  pay  £20  to  the  account 
of  Mr.  Brown,  midshipman  of  the  said  ship,  as  his  share 
in  the  prize-money  accruing  from  the  Santa  Teresa^ 
captured  on  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Dreams,  my  dear  sir, 
only  dreams !  We  never  found  any  vessels  run  away 
from  us ;  au  contraire,  they  were  very  glad  to  let  us  come 
alongside,  and  received  us  with  an  affability  that  was 
delightful,  but  deceptive.  The  bluff"  honesty  of  that 
captain  of  a  slaver  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  who,  when 
a  man-of-war  came  alongside,  hailed  her  with  the  words, 
*'  Here  you  are,  captain,  here's  two  hundred  and  fifty 
for  you  I "  would  have  been  a  pleasant  contrast  to  the 
deceit  and  courtesy  of  the  Brazilians.  Our  duty  con- 
sisted merely  in  steaming  alongside  one  brig,  hailing  or 


1 14  BRAZIL. 

boarding  it,  and  going  off  to  another,  which  work  we 
soon  found  to  be  desperately  *^  slow."  There  was  no 
boat  cruising,  in  which  we  expected  some  amusement, 
and  a  short  season  of  independence.     Thus 

"  The  wild  pulsation  that  we  felt  before  the  strife. 
When  we  saw  the  ships  before  us,  and  the  tumult  of  our  life," 

vanished  into  a  more  matter  of  fact  occupation  than 
even  the  duty  of  a  clerk. 

The  first  place  at  which  we  dropped  our  anchor  was 
the  small  island  of  Georgi  Grego,  lying  about  two  miles 
to  seaward  of  a  large  island  named  Ilha  Grande,  that 
lies  about  on^  mile  to  seaward  of  the  mainland.     Georo-i 

o 

Grego  is  small,  but  high,  covered  with  trees  and  brush- 
wood. Flocks  of  sea-birds  were  hovering  above  it, 
wheeling  through  the  air  and  screaming  discordantly. 
We  anchored  iri  a  small  bay  formed  by  jutting  points  of 
the  island.  The  anchorage  is  in  very  deep  water,  so 
close  to  the  shore  that  you  might  be  almost  in  danger  of 
scraping  with  your  bowsprit.  Close  above  the  water 
rose  a  belt  of  rocks,  and  immediately  over  these  was  the 
wood,  which  clothed  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  save  in 
one  place,  where  a  break  was  formed  by  a  steep  rock 
dripping  with  water,  and  giving  refuge  to  birds  among 
its  crannies.  My  rough  note-book,  written  under 
superintendence,   and   intended   to   act   as   a  pilotage 


LEAF  FROM  A  MIDDY's  NOTE-BOOK.  115 

directory  to  me,  if  ever  I  was  a  captain  in  these  parts, 
gives  this  account  of 

Georgi  Grego,  or  Greco,  a  very  high,  rocky,  and 
woody  island,  lying  in  latitude  23®  15'  south,  and 
longitude  44°  14'  west.  There  is  a  path  leading  to 
the  top  of  the  island  in  one  part,  but  in  all  others  the 
brushwood  is  impenetrably  thick.  Plenty  of  rock  fish 
of  various  sorts  are  found  close  to  the  shore.  In 
Purdy's  sailing  Directory  for  the  Ethiopic  or  South 
Atlantic  Ocean,  it  is  stated  that  this  island,  *'  though 
sterile  in  appearance,  affords  not  only  anchorage  on  its 
north  side  for  large  ships,  but  plenty  of  wood  and 
water,  and  here,  at  a  village  named  Angra  Dos  Reis, 
refreshments  may  be  obtained."  On  the  contrary,  the 
island  is  not  at  all  sterile  in  its  appearance,  being 
covered  with  brushwood:  the  anchorage  is  too  much 
exposed  for  large  ships:  the  wood  not  worth  taking: 
and  the  water  exists  only  in  Mr.  Purdy's  imagination. 
The  village  of  Angra  Dos  Reis,  instead  of  being 
on  this  island,  stands  on  the  mainland,  having  the 
whole  breadth  of  Ilha  Grande  interposed  between 
it  and  Gcorgi  Grego,  as  it  is  the  Portuguese  name  for 
the  town  of  Villa  Grande.  The  anchorage  here  is  in 
sixteen  fathoms,  but  not  always  secure,  being  open,  espe- 
cially to  south-west  winds. 

From  this  specimen  of  my  writing  as  a  midshipman, 


116  BBAZIL. 

it  will  be  seen  that  I  thought  myself  an  excellent 
authority  on  such  intricate  matters  as  wood,  water,  and 
good  anchorages,  and  that  I  was  especially  apt  to  point 
out  and  expose  any  weak  points  in  my  adversary's 
writings.  I  do  not  therefore  doubt  that  I  was  then 
an  excellent  .controversialist,  and  an  admirable  (sea-j 
lawyer. 

When  we  lay  at  Georgi  Grego,  it  was  our  custom  to 
send  a  man  on  shore  to  mount  the  tree  at  the  top  of 
the  island,  and  tell  us  if  any  ships  came  in  sight.  He 
could  see  clearly  from  his  exalted  situation,  being  lifted 
out  of  the  mass  of  wood  that  covered  the  island,  as  the 
Lord  Chancellor's  wig  covers  his  majestic  head.  The 
thickness  of  the  brushwood  in  the  other  parts  of  the 
island  was  one  evening  tested  by  me  personally,  and 
on  that  occasion  I  learnt  in  suffering  enough  to  set  me 
up  as  a  teacher  in  song.  I  landed  with  two  gun-room 
officers,  and  after  fishing  unsuccessfully  for  some  time 
(for  though  the  rock  fish  are  plentiful,  yet  they  are  shy, 
and  can't  easily  be  hooked),  we  commenced  a  journey 
through  the  island.  Apropos  of  fish,  I  may  remark 
that  a  friend  of  mine  was  fishing  the  whole  of  a  certain 
Ash  Wednesday,  and  could  not  get  a  bite.  Worms  are 
not  a  portion  of  fast-day  diet  for  fish,  I  suppose,  and 
perhaps  none  of  those  in  that  part  of  the  river  had  a 
dispensation.      An  aflfecting  Catholic  story  might  be 


.JUNGLE.  117 

written  about  a  fish  that,  endeavouring  to  eat  flesh 
meat  on  a  fast-day,  was  hooked,  and  eaten  itself 
instead. 

On  commencing  our  passage  through  the  jungle,  we 
found  the  reeds  so  thick  and  high  as  to  be  uncomfort- 
able. In  some  places  they  mounted  over  our  heads, 
and,  when  we  pushed  them  away,  some  prickly  substance 
made  us  draw  back.  After  tedious  stru lorries  we 
managed  to  get  through,  and  surmounted  the  ridge  of 
the  island.  The  other  side  was  free  from  brakes  and 
jungly  patches,  but  bore  large  trees  whose  thick 
branches,  joined  together,  formed  more  unsurmountable 
impediments  than  the  reeds  through  which  we  had 
passed.  So  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  return,  the 
back  journey  being  easy  enough,  as  we  had  only 
to  keep  in  the  tracks  before  made.  I  must  confess 
to  sundry  musings  on  the  subject  of  snakes  as  we 
passed  through  the  jungle,  remembering  unpleasant 
rumours  about  the  deadly  bite  of  the  snakely  denizens 
of  Brazil.  A  snake  is  certainly  a  most  hateful  reptile : 
some  men  can  face  a  lion,  or  a  mad  bull,  or  a  wild  Irish- 
man, without  terror,  but  who  can  stand  against  a 
serpent  ?  an  animal  scarce  distinguishable  from  a  whip- 
lash, or  one  of  the  reeds  on  which  you  are  trampling, 
that  by  the  infusion  of  a  grain  of  its  poison,  can  consign 
vou  to  death ! 


118  BRAZIL. 

"  By  the  billow-beaten  side 
Of  the  foam-besilvered  main, 
Darkling  and  alone  we  stood" 

(as  Pindar,  translated  by  West,  has  it),  waiting  for  the 
boat.  The  rocks  here  were  more  barren  than  is  usually 
the  case  on  the  landward  side  of  an  island,  and  the 
long  arms  of  the  cactus  came  stretching  over  them. 

In  the  other  part  of  the  island,  where  the  tree  of  look- 
out stands,  and  where  the  path  runs  from  it  to  the  beach, 
we  found  some  handsome  red  and  green  birds,  whose 
gaudy  colours  made  them  conspicuous  marks  for  our 
pistols.  When  they  fell,  the  brushwood  was  too  thick 
to  allow  us  to  find  their  bodies.  If  only  all  sportsmen 
had  this  same  excuse  to  make,  when  their  game  bags  do 
not  weigh  heavily  on  their  shoulders!  An  old  grey 
parrot  mounted  on  the  stump  of  a  tree,  and  sounded 
defiance;  the  charge  of  a  pistol  immediately  wended 
its  way  towards  his  bosom,  and  he  vanished  whether  on 
wings,  or  by  a  fall,  I  cannot  say.  From  the  summit  of 
the  hill  we  descended  to  the  seaward  shore  of  the 
island.  This  side  was  not  by  any  means  so  woody,  but 
the  rock  extended  far  up,  as  the  sea  has  here  a  good 
mark  for  breaking  upon  in  rough  weather.  The  rocks 
were  formed  in  fantastic  shapes ;  in  one  place  were  huge 
boulders,  menacing  clefts  in  the  stone,  in  which  a  little 
water  still  remained  from  the  last  storm.     Though  now 


THE  OCEAN.  1 1  9 

there  was  little  wind,  the  ocean  heaved  with  a  long  and 
Boiemn  swell,  and  we  heard,  like  the  bold  Sir  Bedevere, 

"  The  ripplo  washing  in  the  reeds, 
And  the  wild  water  lapping  on  the  crag : " 

the  noysterious  voice  of  the  ocean,  heard  only  in  calm 
seasons,  as  it  rolls  solemnly  up  the  slope  of  rock, 
reminding  one  of  those  poetic  dreams  about  the  secret 
of  the  sea,  and  of  Longfellow's  beautiful  song.  Who, 
on  a  still  night,  when  the  breeze  sighs  with  its  faintest 
breath  among  the  sails  so  as  scarcely  to  move  the  vessel, 
when  the  bubbles  steal  by  with  equal  languor,  and  the 
moonlight  spreads  a  long  lake  of  glitter  and  brilliancy 
along  the  ocean,  has  not  thought  how  glorious  it  must 
be  to  sail  up  that  stream  of  grandeur  to  the  heavens 
above  ?  might  not  one  be  forgiven  who  thought  that  sea 
of  moonlight  was  the  path  to  heaven  ?  Alexander  Smith 
says  prettily  enough : — 

"The  full-faced  moon  sits  silent  on  the  sea, 
The  eager  waves  lift  up  their  gleaming  heads, 
Each  should'ring  for  her  smile." 

I  may,  perhaps,  end  this  chapter  by  making  a  remark 
on  the  absence  of  all  public  show  of  worship  and  religion 
in  most  of  the  Brazilian  villages.  Few  possess  a  church, 
and  the  churches  that  exist  are  never  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  Throughout  the  whole  island  of  llha 
Grande,  which  is  fully  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  con- 


120  BRAZIL, 

tains  several  villages,  there  is  not  one  sacred  building. 
Yet  "the  Church,"  as  it  is  the  fashion  to  call  that 
mighty  Eoman  establishment,  is  in  full  power  throughout 
Brazil,  to  judge  from  some  of  the  writings  of  Koman 
Catholics.  Here,  then,  we  see  its  natural  results.  IVhat 
would  a  village  in  England  (the  country  thatj  to  use  the 
very  words  of  a  Roman  Catholic  periodical,  has  no  God) 
be  without  its  church,  and  a  place  of  worship  for  any 
members  who  do  not  agree  with  the  church  ?  "  Better 
no  religion  than  a  false  one,""  seems  to  be  the  motto  of 
Roman  Catholics ;  and  the  steadiness  with  wdiich  they 
endeavour  to  promote  this  state  of  affairs,  is  really  mar- 
vellous. 


MARAMBYA.  121 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MARAMBYA— MANOARATIBA — A  VILLAGE  SHOP— FORTIFICATIONS — 
VILLA  GRANDE — BATS  AND  HEADLANDS — CASATIBA — BU8I08 — 
VICTORIA — I'ORCOS— FISH. 

The  island  of  Marambya,  with  which  our  cruising 
ground  commenced,  is  long  and  low,  except  at  its  west 
end,  where  it  rises  into  a  high  and  woody  mountain, 
known  by  the  name  of  Mount  Marambya.  It  runs 
parallel  to  the  mainland,  which  here  recedes,  and  forms 
a  large  bay,  terminated  to  the  westward  by  Point 
Joetinga.  The  west  end  of  Marambya  is  the  only  part 
inhabited,  the  eastern  part,  from  the  mount  to  the  other 
extremity,  being  nothing  but  a  bank  of  sand.  At  its 
east  end  it  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  small 
channel,  not  four  feet  deep,  and  almost  dry  in  summer. 
About  two  miles  to  seaward  of  the  island,  lies  a  flat 
rock,  called  the  Lage,  on  which  the  water  breaks  in 
rough  weather.  From  the  western  point  of  Marambya, 
a  shoal  extends  towards  the  mainland,  having  two  and 
a  half  fathoms  water  on  it,  in  the  deepest  parts.  This 
is  all  that  is  notable  in  connection  with  this  long  island, 
that   lies   like   a  guardsman   stretched   out  in  a  bath. 


122  BRAZIL. 

The  long  useless  body  covers  many  a  rood,  while  the 
head,  bristling  with  whiskers  and  warlike  mustaches, 
is  inhabited,  but  on  the  outside  only — inside  there  is 
no  room  for  brains. 

The  town  of  Mangaratiba  lies  on  the  mainland  in  this 
neighbourhood,  and  to  reach  it  you  pass  between  Maram- 
bya  and  Ilha  Grande,  We  went  gliding  softly  along 
water  of  a  delicious  green  tint,  glassy  as  a  lake,  with 
broad  grassy  meadows  stretching  down  on  either  side 
till  we  anchored  in  the  Eoads,  outside  the  harbour, 
which  was  too  shallow  to  admit  a  vessel  of  our  size.  In 
our  way  we  picked  up  a  canoe,  drifting  ownerless  over 
the  quiet  waters.  The  cutter  was  sent  in  to  board 
some  of  the  ships  in  the  harbour.  While  we  were 
gazing  at  the  scenery,  the  green  shrubs,  and  rocks  half 
covered  with  grass,  and  half  bare,  the  island  spread  with 
wavy  foliage,  at  whose  feet  the  ripples  were  just  com- 
mencing to  break,  as  the  sea  breeze  arose,  the  cutter 
came  creeping  out  again,  its  white  sails  showing 
picturesquely  beneath  a  bank  of  dark  heather.  Light 
and  shade  chased  each  other  across  the  green  lawns, 
now  bright  of  a  dazzling  tint,  now  darker  and 
more  sombre.  Each  fugitive  ray  of  the  sun,  chased 
by  a  dozen  clouds,  leaped  from  peak  to  peak,  descend- 
ing the  mountain  side.  Now  it  rested  for  an  in- 
stant, on  a  bank  of  red  flowery  gorse,  that  shot  out 


HANOABATIBA.  1 1^3 

innumerable  sparkles,  and  betrayed  the  fugitive  to  the 
pursuing  clouds,  that  in  an  instant  had  drawn  their  veils 
over  his  resting-place.  But  he  was  not  caught,  no,  he  was 
lower  down  resting  on  a  patch  of  meadow,  and  by  the 
time  they  had  settled  on  that,  he  was  further  down  still, 
and  when  he  had  led  them  to  the  shore,  and  dazzled  the 
wavelets  that  broke  upon  the  beach,  he  flew  straight  up 
again  to  the  sun,  leaving  the  baffled  pursuers  far  behind, 
in  undisputed  possession  of  the  whole  landscape.  Such 
a  fforgeous  hill-side  was  never  seen  elsewhere;  the 
constantly  fleeting  tints  could  have  been  caught  by  no 
pencil,  more  magnificent  than  ever  clothed  the  artist's 
canvass,  or  decked  with  ecstasy  the  poet's  dream. 

On  our  next  visit  to  Mangaratiba,  I  landed  with  the 
captain.  The  gig  sped  merrily  over  the  waters,  and 
was  beached  on  the  sand  close  to  the  town — and  under 
a  general  store  shop,  where  the  captain  was  about  to 
purchase  some  aqua  ardenfe,  to  mix  with  paint.  This 
shop  was  kept  by  the  subdele garde,  pronounced  sub- 
legarde,  or  governor  of  the  place.  Goods  of  all  descrip- 
tions were  ranged  round  the  walls,  or  on  the  counters. 
Sugar,  coffee,  casks  of  spirits,  bottles  of  wine  and 
liqueurs,  tin  cases  of  sardines  en  Thuile  from  Paris,  dra- 
peries of  numerous  patterns,  both  English  and  foreign, 
fans  made  of  feathers,  mixed  pickles  with  the  name  of 
Smith  and  Co.,  High  Holbom,  bearing  a  label  declaring 


l24  BRAZIL. 

that  none  are  genuine  except  those  signed  "  John  Smith," 
and  warning  the  public  against  fraudulent  imitations; 
more  mixed  pickles  from  another  Messrs.  Smith  and  Co., 
with  another  label  declaring  none  are  genuine  unless 
signed  '*  James  Smith,"  and  warning  the  public  against 
another  house  that  endeavours  to  pass  off  its  goods  by 
the  fraudulent  assumption  of  the  same  name  (pieces  of 
information  that  would  be  of  great  service  to  Brazilians 
who  don't  know  a  word  of  English), — such  were  some 
of  the  goods  that  decorated  the  shop* 

Having  procured  some  turpentine  and  aqua  ardente, 
we  shoved  off,  and  steered  towards  the  fort,  taking 
three  Brazilians  as  passengers.  We  reached  the  boat 
underneath  the  fort,  and  mounted  a  steep  and  irregular 
path,  raising  ourselves  by  means  of  stones,  and  roots  of 
trees.  The  fortifications  of  Mangaratiba  are  paltry 
things.  There  is  a  hovel  meant  for  a  guard-house  in 
which  the  soldiers  dwell,  and  in  front  stands  a  flagstaff 
with  the  green  Brazilian  ensign  hoisted,  but  too  much 
ashamed  to  unfurl  itself  in  the  presence  of  Englishmen. 


"  Know  ye  the  ensign  where  coffee  and  cotton 
Shine  on  a  field  that  is  green  as  the  main  ? 
'Tis  the  flag  of  a  nation  whose  name  there's  a  spot  on, 
And  in  their  escutcheon  a  deep  lying  stain." 


At  the  foot  of  the  ensign  staff  stand  the  six  eighteen- 


VILLA  QKAA'DE.  125 

pounders  that  constitute  the  fortifications  of  this  town. 
How  many  could  stand  the  first  discharge  I  cannot 
guess.  The  commander  of  the  fort  was  civil  and 
obliging;  for,  as  individual  units,  the  Brazilians  are  some- 
times courteous — as  a  nation,  they  are  the  reverse. 
He  had  a  portion  of  the  guard-house  allotted  to 
him  for  his  apartments,  his  sleeping  chamber  being 
partitioned  off  from  his  sitting-room  by  a  Brazilian  flag. 
In  his  sitting-room  there  was  no  polish,  and,  apparently, 
scarcely  any  comfort.  Boxes  raised  up  on  end  had  to 
officiate  in  the  place  of  chairs.  His  uniform  was  literally 
an  undress  suit,  in  as  much  as  he  sat  in  his  shirt-sleeves. 
The  people  conversed  fluently  enough.  Whether  the 
commander  of  the  fort  was  opposed  to  the  slave  trade 
or  no,  made  a  great  difference,  since  these  people  have 
frequently  fired  upon  English  men-of-war,  or  rather 
upon  their  boats,  when  they  have  chased  a  slave  vessel 
under  the  guns  of  their  fort.  Perhaps  it  was  lucky  that 
we  gave  this  man  no  chance  of  demonstrating  his 
opinions. 

A  little  further  to  the  westward  lies  the  town  of 
Villa  Grande,  known  also  by  the  name  of  Angra  Dos  Reis. 
It  seems  a  town  of  some  magnitude,  and  has  a  convent 
in  it.  The  ^*  Geyser"  anchored  there  one  night,  and 
some  of  the  young  gentlemen  obtained  leave  to  bathe 
from  a  asmdj  beach  that  seemed  inviting.    We  pulled 


126  BRAZIL, 

there  in  the  dingui,  the  smallest  of  the  ship's  boats,  but 
were  disappointed  on  our  arrival  to  find  the  place  un- 
suited  for  bathing. 

A  house  stood  at  the  back  of  this  beach,  and  its  owner 
stepped  forth  to  join  us  in  conversation.  Our  attempts 
to  converse  in  Portuguese  vy^ere  very  unsuccessful,  and 
we  soon  subsided  into  smoking  a  cigar  of  peace,  flavoured 
by  some  aqua  ardente,  which  our  host  produced.  He 
also  cut  each  of  us  a  sugar-cane,  and  we  rewarded  him 
with  a  dollar,  which  he  was  loth  to  accept  for  a  time. 
This  house  was  prettily  situated  with  the  white  sand  in 
front,  and  the  dark  bananas  with  their  flag-like  leaves 
behind,  forming  a  dark  background.  In  getting  under 
weigh  from  Villa  Grande  the  next  morning,  we  struck 
against  a  rock,  the  story  of  which  is  elsewhere  narrated. 

Near  Villa  Grande  stands  a  remarkable  mountain  peak, 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Friar's  Hood.  Here  also 
the  large  bay  formed  by  the  secession  of  the  shore  is 
terminated  by  Point  Joetinga,  a  promontory  with  a 
saddle  in  it,  that  makes  the  end  of  the  promontory 
appear  like  an  island,  when  it  bears  due  N.  W.  from  your 
ship.  Inside  this  point  is  the  bay  of  Casatiba,  to  which 
I  will  devote  a  chapter.  Outside  lies  Gairosu  Bay, 
small  and  much  exposed  to  the  sea.  Here  stands  a 
large  white  house  the  property  of  Senor  Pinto,  a  large 
slave-dealer,  who,  being  discovered  to  be  the  owner  of 


BAYS  AND  HEADLANDS.  127 

a  certain  slaver  that  ran  on  shore  to  the  northward  of 
Kio,  had  to  fly  from  the  country.  Separated  from 
Gairosu  Bay  by  Point  Sono,  lies  Sono  Bay,  also  much 
exposed  to  the  long  swell  of  the  Atlantic,  which  prevents 
any  one  from  landing  when  the  weather  is  at  all  rough. 
In  front  of  the  village  stand  two  patriarchal  trees  with 
wide-spreading  branches,  and  seats  beneath  to  accommo- 
date the  whole  village  population  in  the  pleasant 
evening.  A  man  came  alongside  the  "  Geyser "  with 
bananas  for  sale — a  rou^jh  uncultivated  beinoj,  who  knew 
little,  laughed  much,  and  chattered  about  slave-vessels. 
Further  down  to  the  westward  lie  the  Porcos  Islands, 
between  which  and  the  mainland  there  is  snug  anchorajre 
in  the  Baya  dos  Flamengos,  otherwise  called  "  Shark's 
Bay."  On  the  island  under  whose  lee  you  anchor,  is  a 
small  village,  situated  on  a  grassy  slope,  the  wood  having 
been  partially  cleared  away,  so  as  to  present  some  velvet 
lawn  and  cultivated  meadow  above  the  sand,  and 
grotesquely  formed  rocks.  Enough  wood  has  been  left 
to  screen  the  village,  and  to  add  a  dark  shade  to  the 
sand  of  a  sheltered  little  cove  beneath.  Off  the  Busios 
Islands,  which  lie  to  seaward  of  the  Porcos,  there  is 
anchorage,  but  uncomfortable.  The  water  is  deep,  and 
frequently  there  exists  a  disagreeable  swell.  In  the 
top  of  the  largest  island  is  a  gully  througli  which  squalls 

frequently  descend.     Beyond  the  Busios  lies  the  island 

k2 


128  BRAZIL. 

of  Victoria,  where  the  anchorage  is  far  more  commodious. 
Here  too  there  are  one  or  two  houses,  and  some 
straggling  attempts  at  cultivation.  Canoes  come  here 
and  to  the  Busios  for  fish.  In  the  evening  you  see 
them  returning  to  the  mainland  before  the  evening 
breeze,  darting  over  the  waves,  from  whose  crests  they 
could  hardly  be  discerned,  their  white  sails  looking  like 
foam  as  they  dived  into  the  yawning  abysses.  We 
called  one  of  these  canoes  alongside,  wanting  to  buy 
some  fish.  The  extreme  caution  of  its  proprietor,  who 
first  lowered  his  sail,  and  then  backed  alongside,  showed 
that  he  had  long  ago  carried  a  vote  of  "  want  of  confi- 
dence" in  his  vessel.  He  willingly,  like  a  deluded 
mortal,  exchanged  some  fish  for  some  salt  pork,  and 
probably  repented  his  bargain  when  he  began  to  eat 
what  he  had  so  coveted. 


ILHA  GRANDE.  129 


CFIAPTER  XII. 


1L!1A  GRANDE — DOS  RIOS — THE  TENTATIVA— PRAYA  PALMA» 
ANDREA  SMITH — CANOEING — LOST  IN  A  WOOD — IN  THE  WATER 
STREAM  FLOWING  SWIFTLY  ! — UNEXPECTED  KINDNESS— GREEN 
COFFEE — A  VOLUNTEER — ALBROO — CUSTARD  APPLES — LOREQA — • 
KAUTIU—  0ET8ER  ROCK. 

Ilha  Grande  is,  as  its  name  implies,  a  large  island 
that  runs  parallel  to  the  mainland,  stretching  from  the 
west  end  of  the  Marambya  to  Point  Joetinga*  It  has 
appertaining  to  it  many  snug  bays,  chiefly  on  the  land*- 
ward  side,  that  afford  good  shelter  to  ships.  The  only 
bay  on  the  seaward  side  that  we  visited,  was  named 
Dos  Rios,  from  two  mountain  streams  that  run  near  its 
village.  This  bay  is  sheltered  by  G corgi  Grego  from 
any  tempest,  and  is  a  snug  little  cove,  though  better 
fitted  for  small  vessels  than  for  large.  One  of  the 
streams  ran  between  the  beach  and  the  village,  that 
stood  rather  back.  Lofty  palms  rose  by  the  banks  of 
this  rivulet,  and  under  their  shade  bullocks  were 
stretched,  basking  in  genuine  Brazilian  laziness.  The 
chief  point  remarkable  about  these  bullocks  was,  that 
they  were  not  for  sale— a  fact  which  of  course  takes 


130  BRAZIL. 

away  all  interest  from  animals  that  might  otherwise 
have  seemed  picturesque. 

We  did  not  stay  here  long  enough  to  land.  But  once, 
when  we  were  lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Georgi  Grego, 
some  of  our  officers  came  over  in  a  cutter,  and  landed. 
They  roamed  about  trying  to  get  at  the  village,  which 
was  guarded  by  the  two  streams  in  different  directions. 
While  they  took  long  circuitous  routes  in  hope  of  sur- 
mounting these  obstacles,  they  heard  the  sound  of  many 
muskets,  and  saw  the  "  Geyser "  steam  furiously  into 
the  bay  with  their  recall  hoisted. 

*'  Down  the  precipitous  rocks  they  sprang," 

and  rushed  on  board  to  receive  a  severe  reprimand  for 
having  detained  the  vessel,  while  there  were  some  ships 
in  the  offing  to  be  boarded.  They  were  not  reprimanded 
for  that,  certainly,  but  for  having  left  their  boat,  which 
was  against  orders,  while  detaining  the  ship  does  not 
come  under  the  admiralty  regulations. 

The  fact  was,  that  while  at  Georgi  Grego  we  were 
watching  for  a  barque,  named  the  Tentativa,  that  was 
expected  to  arrive  from  the  coast  of  Africa  with  800 
slaves  on  board.  The  look-out  man  on  the  island,  know- 
ing that  a  barque  was  expected,  discovered  that  every 
thing  that  hove  in  sight  was  a  barque,  having  no  doubt 
some  peculiar  obliquity  of  vision  that  led  him  astray. 


THE  TENTATIVA.  131 

On  the  day  that  these  oflficers  had  landed,  the  look-out 
man  saw  a  barque  and  two  schooners  in  the  offing.  We 
at  once  concluded  that  this  barque  was  the  Tentativa, 
and  that  the  two  schooners  had  gone  out  to  warn  her 
of  our  presence,  and  to  land  her  cargo  for  her.  Accord- 
ingly we  went  out  with  all  despatch,  and  found  the 
barque  resolve  itself  into  the  Brazilian  corvette  Beriioga, 
cruising  on  the  look-oat  for  slavers,  with  a  brigantine 
and  schooner. 

Numerous  other  tricks  were  played  by  our  look-out 
man's  distempered  vision.  We  frequently  got  under 
weigh  to  find  a  brig  where  we  had  expected  a  barque. 
We  took  one  of  her  Britannic  Majesty's  corvettes  for 
the  barque  Tentativa.  And  finally,  after  all  this  sedulous 
watching,  the  Tentativa  escaped  us,  and  landed  her 
slaves  to  the  northward,  at  St.  Joam  de  Macahe,  where 
they  were  seized  by  the  authorities,  after  a  vain  attempt 
at  an  auction  on  the  beach.  This  might  be  called 
positively  disagreeable,  to  be  thus  swindled  of  our  prize 
money. 

The  easternmost,  and  the  largest  bay  of  Ilha  Grande 
is  Pal  mas,  of  which  I  have  some  pleasant  recollections. 
The  land  about  the  bay  is  high,  and  shelters  it  from  all 
winds.  On  the  right,  as  you  enter  the  bay,  is  a  long 
smooth  expanse  of  grass,  sloping  gently  upwards  from 
the  rocks,  that  rise  abruptly  out  of  the  water.     Toward* 


132  BRAZIL. 

the  top  of  this  lawn  are  trees,  small  and  straggling  at 
first,  which  Tsoon  grow  into  a  thick  wood.  Just  similar 
to  this  is  the  smooth  water,  that  runs  down  a  slope,  con- 
structed of  planks  by  the  artful  proprietor  of  the  grounds. 
Long  the  descending  water  retains  its  glassy  calmness, 
then  near  the  foot  some  little  curls  commence  to  show 
themselves,  and  at  the  bottom  it  is  broken  at  once  into 
innumerable  ripples. 

There  are  three  villages  on  the  shores  of  this  bay. 
The  largest,  Praya  Grande  (Praya  signifying  village), 
stands  on  the  right  hand  as  you  enter,  but  is  partially 
hidden  from  the  anchorage  by  a  projecting  point. 
Praya  Paltoas,  the  second  in  size,  stands  at  the  back  of 
the  beach  that  adorns  the  head  of  the  bay,  and  the  third 
village  lies  opposite  to  Praya  Grande,  and  is  minus  a 
name. 

April  5. — Landed  with  another  midshipman.  We 
engaged  places  in  a  canoe  that  had  come  alongside  witli 
fruit  and  eggs,  and  that  had  now  discharged  the  greater 
part  of  its  cargo.  We  lay  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  while  the  gentlemanly  old  planter^  and  the  stout 
liegro,  who  composed  the  crew,  stood  up  and  urged  it 
swiftly  over  the  gently  rippling  waters.  We  rewarded 
the  gentleman  with  half  a  dollar,  and  leapt  on  shore  in 
the  small  village  whose  name  we  had  not  the  honour  of 
knowing.     We  searched  through  the  houses  in  vain  for 


ANDREA  SMITH.  133 

Bome  member  of  the  masculine  gender,  but  found  only- 
many  women,  eggs,  and  reeds  drying  for  some  future 
use.  In  one  house  we  stumbled  on  a  very  good  spy- 
glass, which  led  us  to  conclude  that  its  owner  had  been 
at  one  time  captain  of  a  slaver.  At  last  we  lighted  on 
a  truculent  black-whiskered  Brazilian,  every  line  of 
whose  countenance  seemed  to  express  some  different 
villany,  who  informed  us  that  Andrea,  the  object  of  our 
search,  was  not  to  be  found. 

Tiiis  personage  whom  Brazilians  called  Andrea,  but 
English,  Smith,  was  a  Brazilian  by  birth,  who  at  an 
early  age  had  sailed  for  America,  and  had  remained  in 
that 

"  Land  of  the  great  and  free, 
Of  wealth  and  power  and  liberty," 

80  long  that  he  had  forgotten  his  own  language,  and 
supplied  its  place  with  English.  He  then  returned  to 
Brazil,  and  commenced  picking  up  his  own  tongue,  and 
dropping  the  acquired  tongue  at  an  equal  rate.  When 
we  saw  him  he  had  learned  half  the  Brazilian  lanfruaire, 
and  forgotten  half  the  English,  so  that  he  knew  the 
whole  of  no  tongue.  Yet  he  was  exceedingly  useful  to 
us'  as  an  interpreter,  though  occasionally  he  would  stick 
at  some  hard  word. 

We  explained  to  the  savage,  who  came  in  Andrea's 


134  BRAZIL. 

place,  that  we  wanted  a  canoe,  with  which  he  seemed 
loth  to  trust  us  alone.  At  first  nothing  would  satisfy  him 
but  accompanying  us,  which  we  steadily  refused.  He 
received  a  dollar,  and  placed  us  in  a  canoe,  with  paddles 
in  our  hands.  When  in  the  act  of  shoving  off,  he  paused, 
to  thrust  himself  into  the  stem.  Steady  there,  my 
good  friend,  we  don't  want  you  with  us !  so  he  backs 
out  again,  and  we  are  dancing  over  the  waves, 

"  Flung  from  the  rock  on  ocean's  foam  to  sail, 
Where'er  the  surge  might  sweep,  the  tempest's  breath  prevail." 

We  paddled  first  to  a  small  sandy  bay,  where  the  second 
class  boys  were  bathing  and  amusing  themselves,  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  master  at  arms.  We  land 
here,  when  lo !  the  truculent  man  is  seen  following  us 
in  a  smaller  canoe,  to  look  after  the  safety  of  the  vessel 
he  had  so  unwillingly  intrusted  to  our  care.  He  has  to 
be  sworn  at,  and  driven  away,  after  which  we  paddle 
alongside  the  "  Geyser"  to  fetch  another  midship- 
man. The  breeze  had  freshened,  and  the  '^  Geyser,"  that 
was  much  given  to  motion,  was  rolling  '^  some ;"  so  it 
was  ticklish  work  getting  the  canoe  along  side,  and  keep- 
ing her  clear  of  the  ladder.  AVith  such  a  breeze  we  found 
the  canoe  somewhat  unsteady,  so,  on  reaching  the  shore 
again,  we  resigned  her  and  went  for  a  walk.  Our  road 
led  us  first  through  trees,  at  the  foot  of  one  of  which  sat 
an  Irishman  scraping  the  mandioc  root.     His  face  was 


LOST  IN  A  WOOD.  135 

80  good-natured,  and  so  unlike  the  general  profile  of  a 
negro's  countenance,  that  he  was  at  ence  voted  to  be  an 
Irishman,  and  would  have  been  addressed  in  genuine 
Irish,  if  we  had  known  any  words  of  that  language. 
"  Upbubboo,"  though  a  purely  Irish  word,  seemed  not 
to  be  familiar  to  him. 

A  broad  well-kept  path,  with  tall  reeds  on  each  side, 
through  which  we  saw  golden  oranges  weighing  down 
their  boughs,  led  us  to  the  sandy  beach,  from  which  we 
dived  into  the  recesses  of  a  wood  that  clothed  the  sides 
of  a  small  hill.  Here  we  found  a  calabash-tree,  with 
its  huge  fruit  hanging  from  the  slenderest  stalks  imagin- 
able, that  spring  out  of  the  branches  or  trunk  of  the 
tree.  These  calabashes  are  cut  in  two,  dried,  and  used 
as  cups  or  dishes  to  hold  eggs,  or  water,  or  farina,  or  some 
hundred  other  articles.  We  now  clambered  up  a  perpen- 
dicular bank,  clutching  at  roots  and  branches,  and 
sending  the  loose  earth  crumbling  to  the  bottom  at 
every  step,  and  on  gaining  the  top  found  ourselves  in 
a  thick  forest.  There  seemed  at  first  something  like  a 
path,  but  this  soon  faded  into  obscurity,  and  we  found 
ourselves  lost,  as  an  Irishman  might  say.  First  we 
tuiined  our  steps  wherever  light  appeared  through  the 
tree-tops,  till  we  discovered  that  there  were  no  vestiges 
of  a  path,  and  that  we  were  in  worse  than  a  labyrinth. 
The   muaquitoes,  that   at   first   had   buzzed   about  ua 


136  BRAZIL. 

wondermgly,  not  knowing  what  we  were,  began  to  take 
sharper  measures  to  discover  our  identity.  Truly 
musquitoes  must  be  animals  of  a  later  date  than  other 
beasts  ;  since,  if  they  had  existed  in  Paradise,  Adam  and 
Eve  would  soon  have  found  that  they  were  naked. 
At  last  we  found  an  exit,  and  slid  rapidly  down  the 
bank. 

When  we  reached  the  village  again,  we  found  Andrea 
there,  and  we  made  arrangements  about  returninor 
on  board.  It  was  rather  a  bad  night,  and  a  large  canoe 
had  to  be  procured,  and  a  larger  price  to  be  paid. 
When  all  these  matters  were  settled  we  lay  down  in  the 
bottom  of  the  canoe,  being  paddled  alongside  by  two 
men.  Now  and  then  a  small  wave  splashed  against  the 
side,  and,  washing  over,  trickled  down  upon  us  in  spark- 
ling and  luminous  drops.  The  ship  was  rolling  even 
more  than  on  our  former  visit,  and  when  we  were  along- 
side there  was  a  sudden  movement,  the  canoe  shot  in 
under  the  ladder,  and  I  found  myself  in  the  water, 
clutching  maniacally  at  a  rope. 

■  April  10. — Landing  just  as  before,  some  of  us  took 
a  small  canoe.  Being  forewarned,  and  consequently 
forearmed,  I  sat  perfectly  still  during  a  small  succession 
of  shiverings  and  quiverings  with  which  the  canoe  com- 
menced its  happy  reign,  when  shoved  off.  As  soon  as 
it  w^as  composed  I  took  the  paddle,  and  away  we  went 


PRATA  PALHAS.  137 

towards  Praya  Palmas.  Beaching  our  vessels  there,  we 
landed,  and  commenced  to  explore  the  village,  in  which 
grog-shops  greatly  predominated,  there  being  at  least 
three  to  every  dozen  houses.  After  taking  a  glass  of 
wine  we  launched  our  canoes  again,  and  steered  them  to  a 
small  streamlet  that  emptied  itself  into  the  sea  in  the 
corner  of  the  bay.  We  found  on  arriving  at  it  that  to- 
day it  had  acted  too  literally,  and  had  entirely  emptied 
itself,  in  which  state  it  would  remain  till  the  tide  flowed 
again.  We  hauled  our  canoes  across  some  sand,  and 
launched  them  into  a  deepish  pool,  across  which  we  pad- 
dled, and  found  ourselves  at  the  mouth  of  the  deserted 
stream.  Into  this  we  hauled  our  canoes,  and  waded  up  its 
bed,  in  which  the  water  came  not  quite  up  to  our  ankles. 
Stepping  on  shore  by  a  small  creek,  I  came  to  a  house 
where  a  man  was  hewing  a  block  of  mahogany  with  an 
adze,  to  the  imminent  danger  of  his  limbs,  so  awkwardly 
did  he  handle  the  formidable  weapon.  His  wife  stood  by, 
looking  unconcerned,  and  paying  more  attention  to  some 
fine  fowls  that  were  strutting  about  than  to  her  husband. 
You  can't  blame  her  for  that;  the  fowls  were  worth 
moneyy  whereas  one  does  not  exactly  know  what  her 
husband  was  worth.     I  asked  the  price  of  these  fowls. 

"Dos  crusados,"  answered  the  wife.  Crusados  are 
coins  not  much  used  or  mentioned  in  Brazil,  and  I  was 
ignorant  of  their  value;  they  are  worth  tenpence  each. 


138  BRAZIL. 

"  Quanto  crusados  vale  hum  milreer'  demanded  I, 
in  that  peculiar  species  of  Portuguese  that  I  carried 
about  with  me.  Then,  with  a  sudden  yell  of  triumph, 
the  woman  screeched  out  "  Hum  milree !"  thus  dexter- 
ously raising  the  price.  But  I  was  up  to  this,  and  finally 
the  bargain  was  more  advantageously  settled;  two  fowls 
were  sold  for  one  mih-ee.  To  catch  the  fowls,  the 
mistress  chewed  some  sugar-cane,  and  threw  it  to  them. 
When  they  came  to  peck  it  up,  she  seized  two,  and  gave 
them  to  me.  On  arriving  in  the  deep  pool  again,  we 
found  some  Brazilians  in  want  of  a  passage  over,  as  the 
pool  was  too  wide  for  a  step,  and  they  did  not  like  to 
essay  a  jump. 

On  our  next  visit  to  the  shore,  we  returned  to  our 
former  loves,  and  revisited  this  stream.  It  had  filled 
itself  in  the  interim,  and  had  a  bar,  on  which  waves,  in 
size  totally  disproportionate  to  the  stream,  were  breaking 
furiously.  The  entrance  to  the  brook  was  narrow,  and 
curved  slightly.  On  one  side  lay  some  steepish  rocks, 
and  on  the  other,  exactly  before  you  as  you  entered,  was 
a  sandbank.  It  was  necessary  that  all  the  rower's  skill 
should  be  employed  to  give  the  canoe  so  slight  a  turn, 
that  she  should  avoid  this  bank  without  going  too  far  on 
the  other  side.  This  was  no  easy  matter  when  the 
waves  were  so  high,  comparatively  speaking,  and  the 
swiftness  of  the  canoe  so  great.     In  I  came  shooting  like 


PELTING  MATCH.  139 

an  arrow  over  the  billows,  that  came  behind  with  heads 
erect,  like  a  pack  of  white  wolves,  eager  to  devour. 
Before  I  could  turn  the  canoe  she  was  firmly  fixed  on 
the  sand,  and  my  pursuers,  having  overtaken  me,  were 
washing  over  the  stern.  Two  hearty  shoves  sent  her 
off;  but  I  was  not  safe  yet,  for  the  tide  that  was  coming 
out,  caught  her  bow,  and  swung  her  full  on  the  rocks, 
thus  verifying  by  a  modem  instance  that  old  saw : 

"  Incidit  in  Scyllam  qui  vult  vitare  Charybdim.'* 

In  the  stream  itself  we  found  it  pleasant  enough. 
The  water  was  quite  smooth,  and  not  too  deep.  We 
paddled  some  way  up,  till  stopped  by  bushes  growing  in 
the  stream,  with  their  branches  tangled  together  so  as 
to  obstruct  any  further  progress.  On  the  bank  here 
stood  a  house  whence  issued  a  stream  of  young  and  old, 
untidy  in  dress,  staring  at  us  as  if  we  were  mermaids, 
honest  men,  or  some  other  very  rare  animals,  seldom 
seen  to  mortal  eye.  At  first  they  gazed  with  silent  awe, 
but,  growing  bolder,  soon  commenced  pelting  us  with 
bad  oranges  and  a  bad  aim.  Some  of  these  fell  into  the 
water  near  us,  and,  being  picked  up,  were  returned  at 
their  heads  with  a  precision  and  force  that  soon  put 
them  to  flight.  We  drifted  down  the  stream  again, 
stopping  where  some  low  and  stout  cocoa-nut  trees  hung 
over  the  water,  their  branches  sweeping  so  low  that  we 


140  BRAZIL. 

could  almost  have  knocked  the  nuts  off  with  our  paddles, 
to  ask  their  price  of  their  owner.  He  was  so  exorbitant, 
however,  that  we  shoved  off,  giving  a  passage  to  some 
man  who  wished  to  go  down  the  stream,  and  who 
perched  himself  in  the  stern  of  my  canoe,  receiving  an 
involuntary  blow  in  the  face  from  the  end  of  my  paddle 
whenever  I  had  to  shift  it  to  the  opposite  side.  He 
sprang  out  by  some  rocks  on  which  some  shirts  were 
placed  to  dry,  which  process  was  materially  assisted  by 
the  splashings  we  administered  to  them  in  passing. 

We  hauled  our  canoes  into  the  creek  that  had  been 
the  scene  of  our  former  visit,  and  fastening  them  to  a 
stump  at  the  head,  commenced  ascending  the  hill.  The 
path  went  zigzag  up  to  a  house.  On  our  way  we  saw 
golden  citrons  of  huge  dimensions  peeping  from  the 
bushes,  and  red  coffee-berries  glancing  from  under  the 
cover  of  their  green  leaves.  As  we  neared  the  house,  a 
dog  rushed  forth  barking  furiously,  and  urged  by  a  kick 
administered  from  w^ithin,  he  rolled  down  the  hill,  trying 
in  vain  to  stop  and  bite  us,  and  flying  far  past.  The 
people  of  the  house  asked  us  in,  and  produced  some 
coffee,  made  by  the  lady  of  the  house,  as  she  certainly 
ought  to  be  called,  even  though  she  might  have  been  of 
humble  origin.  So  stately  and  majestic  was  she,  that 
we  felt  almost  ashamed  of  our  rude  appearance ;  for  we 
had  discarded  our  shoes  and  stockings  for  the  timC;  that 


TTSEXPECTED  KINDNESS.  141 

wa(lin;r  might  not  be  impeded.  The  people  of  the 
house  took  farina  with  their  coffee,  just  as  we  should 
take  milk  in  England,  as  it  dissolved  and  imparted  the 
same  colour  to  the  coffee  on  being  mixed  with  it.  The 
lady  of  the  house  would  take  no  remuneration  for  her 
coffee,  seeming  to  consider  our  visit  as  an  honour  to  her 
house,  and  treated  us  altogether  with  fiir  more  courtesy 
than  would  generally  fall  to  the  lot  of  Englishmen  from 
Brazilians,  or  to  midshipmen  from  their  own  country- 
men, ^lore  particularly  obnoxious  was  our  navy  to 
these  people,  as  we  were  warring  against  their  love  of  ease 
by  attempting  to  stop  the  slave  trade.  If  we  effected 
our  purpose,  the  Brazilians  would  be  compelled  to  work, 
to  which  they  in  general  manifest  much  repugnance. 

A  pretty  barefooted  maiden  leant  against  one  of  the 
door  posts,  silent  and  motionless,  regarding  us  with  as 
much  curiosity  as  was  consistent  with  maidenly  reserve. 
Another  young  female,  who  either  was  a  wife,  or  ought 
to  have  been,  chattered  away  unceasingly  to  us  in 
Portuguese,  and  if  not  answered,  would  take  off  her 
slipper  from  her  stockingless  foot,  and  rap  the  arm  of 
her  nearest  neighbour,  in  the  way  that  ladies  of  other 
countries  employ  their  fans.  After  listening  for  some 
little  time,  you  would  be  convinced  that  she  was  a  wife; 
no  unmarried  young  woman  would  endanger  her  pro- 
spects of  marriage  by   talking  so  much.     Probably  she 

L 


142  BRAZIL. 

was  only  making  up  for  the  modesty  she  had  to  exhibit 
before  that  important  ceremony  that  works  such  changes 
in  a  female.  Some  authoress  has  said  that  love,  which  is 
only  a  transient  feeling  with  man,  is  with  woman  the  chief 
aim  of  life.  True,  men  have  other  ends  in  view — money, 
fame,  religion,  or  other  trifles  of  the  same  nature  :  always 
excepting  those  men  who  write  three  volume  novels,  and 
wind  up  their  hero's  and  heroine's  life  with  marriage. 

Some  citrons  were  then  brought  in  by  the  sons  of 
the  house,  some  of  these  fruits  being  as  large  as^a  man's 
head.  We  went  out  also  to  get  some  oranges,  and 
in  our  way  saw  a  basket  half  full  of  coffee-berries 
lying  in  the  shade.  These  berries,  after  passing 
through  their  first  stage  of  life  in  a  green  costume, 
become  of  a  most  delicate  red  colour,  when  the  skin 
has  a  pleasant  taste,  and  are  finally  brown.  This  Crimean 
war  has  brouMit  to  liofht  the  fact,  that  unroasted 
coffee  is  deleterious  in  its  effects,  and  it  has  been  stated 
that  the  berries  before  roasting  have  some  poison  in 
them.  I  never  felt  any  ill  effects  from  eating  the  skin  of 
coffee-berries,  and  their  taste  was  certainly  most  pleasant. 

We  now  descended  the  hill,  forsook  the  stream,  and 
paddled  along  the  side  of  the  bay,  discovering  small 
creeks  and  docks  among  the  rocks.  One  creek  that  we 
got  into  was  at  first  named  "  Safety  Dock ; "  but  a  canoe 
being  almost  capsized  in  it,  we  changed  the  name  to 


A  VOLUNTEER.  143 

"Danger  Dock,"  thus  going  at  once  into  the  other  ex- 
treme. 

May  4th,  We  had  discovered  on  a  former  occasion 
the  existence  of  a  capital  glass  {nautic^  for  telescope) 
in  one  of  the  grog-shops,  bearing  the  name  of  Dollond, 
London.  We  wanted  to  buy  this,  and  the  o^vner  asked 
thirty-five  milreis.  When  we  complained  of  this  as  too 
much,  and  were  about  to  suggest  thirty  instead,  he 
suddenly  descended  to  twenty-two  in  the  most  unac- 
countable manner. 

Praya  Palmas  is  divided  into  two  villages,  by  a  rocky 
promontory  running  down  from  the  Jiills  at  the  back. 
In  going  towards  this,  I  passed  a  house  prettily  situated 
among  the  trees,  in  front  of  which  sat  the  family,  its 
master  having  his  head  bandaged,  and  looking  as  melan- 
choly as  people  generally  are  when  afflicted  with  a 
headache.  He  volunteered  to  assist  me  in  my  search  for 
eggs,  first  asking  if  he  could  be  employed  on,  board  the 
'^  Geyser."  "  Marinero — pulley  de  ropp — dey  taker  me 
— eh?"  I  answered  in  the  negative,  and  we  went 
together — first  to  the  house  of  an  old  woman  who  kept 
a  few  eggs  in  a  box,  and  had  probably  kept  them  for 
some  few  years,  as  inestimable  treasures.  Then  we 
crossed  the  promontory  by  a  picturesque  path,  and  found 
in  the  other  village  a  seaman  who  spoke  English,  and 
wished  to  charge  for  that  language  in  addition  to  the 


144  BRAZIL. 

usual  price  of  eggs.  I  did  not  stay  any  time  in  this 
village,  which  was  materially  the  same  as  the  other.  In 
returning,  my  acquaintance  stopped  me  as  I  was  climbing 
the  hill.  We  stood  beneath  the  shadow  of  an  over- 
arching tree  by  a  lofty  rock  hidden  from  one  village  by 
the  promontory,  from  the  other  by  a  small  grove,  a 
sufficiently  secret  and  romantic  spot  for  either  murder 
or  robbery.  But  the  man  did  not  intend  to  employ 
either.  He  burst  forth  into  a  flood  of  broken  English, 
the  volubility  of  which  was  only  equalled  by  its  unintelli- 
gibleness. "  I  say,  run  way — no  go  bore  sheep — sheep 
no  coot — live  shore — run  way — shore  ver  coot."  These 
words,  accompanied  by  a  profusion  of  shakes  both  of  the 
head  and  finger,  implied  that  I  was  to  run  away  from 
the  navy,  which  was  really  a  piece  of  such  excellent 
advice  that  I  followed  it  as  soon  as  I  arrived  in  England. 
Next  to  Palmas  Bay  is  the  bay  of  Albroo.  One  day, 
we  had  anchored  between  Marambya  and  the  east  end  of 
Ilha  Grande,  a  place  which  I  take  the  liberty  of  recom- 
mending men-of-war  in  general  studiously  to  avoid. 
About  three  next  morning  a  heavy  swell  set  in,  and 
made  the  ship  roL\  so  fearfully  as  to  chase  unwilling 
slumber  from  every  body's  eyes,  and  therefore  to  make 
every  body  to  execrate  every  body  else's.  We  got  under 
weigh,  being  unable  to  stand  such  rocking  that  sent 
every  thing  clattering  about  the  decks,  broke  open  the 


ALBBOO  BAT.  145 

ncuttles,  hurled  every  desk  in  the  berth  down  from  its 
shelf  to  the  table,  and  deluged  the  deck  with  water. 
Coming  up  at  four,  I  found  the  vessel  lying  to,  under 
her  fore  and  aft  sails,  and  drifting  slowly  to  leeward.  The 
water  that  we  left  to  windward,  had  formed  itself  into 
large  eddies  and  calm  circling  pools.  Suddenly  a  small 
schooner  darted  out  from  under  Marambya,  and  flew 
along  before  the  wind  at  a  slashing  rate  towards  Kio. 
The  quartermaster  of  the  watch  at  once  declared  her  to 
be  a  slaver  for  thus  taking  advantage  of  a  fair  wind, 
which  is  a  thing  that  only  slavers  do,  and  I  was  too  sea- 
sick and  miserable  to  dispute  his  verdict.  To  suppose 
that  sea-sickness  always  goes  off  after  the  first  few  days  is 
a  fearful  mistake,  as  people  generally  find  some  time  to 
their  cost.  At  about  eight  the  steam  was  got  up,  and 
we  stood  into  Albroo  Bay,  which  we  found  spacious, 
commodious,  and  beautiful. 

The  land  rises  to  a  great  height  above  the  sea, 
and  at  the  top  there  is  a  gully,  through  which  the  wind 
often  rushes  impetuously  down,  and  sweeps  dark  and 
swift  over  the  surface  of  the  water.  Ten  or  a  dozen 
canoes  lay  fishing  in  the  middle  of  the  bay.  Here,  as  in 
more  civilized  countries,  it  never  rains  but  it  pours ;  and 
in  like  manner  the  finny  tribe  come  always  in  shoals  to 
Albroo,  and  depart  in  the  same  manner.  So  one  day 
there  is  not  a  fisher  to  be  seen,  while  on  another  the  bay 


3.46  BRAZIL. 

will  be  alive  with  canoes,  and  the  water  will  glitter  with 
struggling  fish.  The  delegarde  of  the  place  came  along- 
side in  a  handsome  and  roomy  canoe,  bringing  a  stock 
of  oranges  and  custard  apples  as  presents  for  the  oflScers. 
Nowhere  else  in  Brazil  did  we  meet  with  custard  apples, 
and  even  here  they  were  scarce.  This  is  much  to  bo 
regretted,  as  a  more  excellent  fruit  does  not  exist. 
Their  rough  skin  conceals  a  white  soft  pulp  that  melts 
in  the  mouth — far  better  than  their  namesakes.  They 
are  found  in  greater  quantities  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  delegarde  dined  with  the  captain,  as  there  hap- 
pened to  be  a  service  dinner  that  day.  During  dinner 
the  loud  tones  of  his  voice  rose  to  the  deck  through  the 
open  skylight,  and  we  heard  frequently  recurring  the 
word  '^milreis,"  that  is  used  so  often  in  Brazilian  con- 
versation, and  so  aptly  typifies  that  nation.  For  the 
milree,  though  an  insignificant  coin,  is  made  of  a  thou- 
sand yet  more  insignificant;  and  thus  the  Brazilian  nation, 
small  in  itself,  is  composed  of  infinitely  less  important 
units.  While  the  delegarde  was  at  dinner  the  two  slaves 
who  had  brought  him  alongside  remained  in  the  canoe, 
which  they  offered  to  sell  us  for  twenty  milreis.  Milreis 
again !  They  did  not  seem  to  care  how  their  master 
got  on  shore,  after  they  had  so  advantageously  disposed 
of  his  canoe  for  him. 

The  other  bay  that  we  visited  was  Longa,  where  we 


NAUTILI.  147 

Btayed  while  our  master  was  surveying  the  rock  on 
which  we  had  struck.  It  is  but  a  small  bay,  and  we 
had  to  lie  outside  it.  One  of  the  inhabitants  came 
alongside  with  a  basket  of  paper  nautilus  shells,  which 
he  sold  at  a  vinten,  or  a  halfpenny,  each.  They  got 
80  much  chipped  however  by  frequent  handling,  that 
there  were  few  good  specimens.  We  bad  met  with 
these  shells  before,  but  not  in  such  plenty  or  at  such 
cheap  rates.  At  Rio  Janeiro  they  cost  exactly  the  same 
as  they  would  in  England.  A  pair  could  be  procured 
for  five  shillings,  and  at  Rio  they  cost  a  milree  each.  A 
man  at  Palmas  Bay  also  brought  some  on  board,  but  for 
these  he  wanted  sixpence  each. 

Next  day  such  quantities  of  nautilus  shells  were 
brought  alongside  as  would  have  astonished  any  shell 
collector.  I  bought  two  baskets  full,  containing  about 
seventy,  for  one  milree.  Of  these  I  managed  to  bring 
safely  home  not  less  than  fifteen  pair,  and  as  people  who 
bring  one  pair  safely  home  are  considered  lucky,  I  must 
be  looked  upon  as  unusually  so  in  that  matter.  The  plan 
I  adopted  was  as  follows.  On  going  into  Rio  I  procured 
an  empty  case  full  of  sawdust,  as  the  bill  expressed  it. 
In  this  I  packed  the  shells,  filling  each  with  sawdust, 
and  pouring  plenty  around  them.  Each  layer  was  sepa- 
rated from  the  other  by  a  sheet  of  paper. 

One  of  the  shell-sellers  informed   our  captain  that 


148  BRAZIL. 

about  a  month  ago  a  steamer  struck  upon  the  rock  our 
boats  were  surveying :  that  she  stayed  as  if  looking  at 
it  for  some  time,  and  then  fled  as  swiftly  as  possible  from 
the  fatal  spot.  He  did  not  know  what  had  become  of 
her,  but  he  fancied  she  must  have  gone  down,  as  her 
injuries  were  very  severe.  Some  of  their  people  had 
discovered  a  great  deal  of  her  plank  and  copper  on  the 
rock.  He  little  thought  that  while  he  spoke  he  stood 
on  the  deck  of  the  very  ship,  The  master  on  exploring 
this  rock  found  as  follows : — 

"  Geyser  Rock"  is  about  the  size  of  a  paddle-box 
boat,  having  only  a  few  feet  of  water  on  it  at  low  tide, 
and  lying  in  deep  water,  with  six  fathoms  alongside  it. 
The  bearings  taken  are  these,  the  distances  having  been 
measured  by  Massey's  patent  log,  a  most  useful  inven- 
tion, in  general  use  In  the  navy  at  the  present  day. 

Peak  of  Marambya  over  the  east  end  of  Ilha  Grande. 
East. 

Convent  in  the  town  of  Villa  Grande,  between  two 
small  islands,  west  of  the  Porcos  Islands.    N.  10°  E, 

Point  Japoya.     W.  If  mile. 

Ambaya  Seca  Island.     S.  11°;  E.  |  of  a  mile. 


CASATIBA.  149 


CHAPTER  XIIT. 

CASATIBA,  OR  ORANGE  BAT — A  DELEGARDE — AN  ORANGE  GROVB — 
TAKE  A  'POON,  PIG  ! — BRAZILIAN  AVARICE — SINGULAR  EFFECTS  OF 
BRAZILIAN  TOBACCO — A  DEPOT  FOR  SLAVES — ST.  SEBASTIAN — 
PORTUGUESE  AND  BRAZILIAN  BUILDERS — SANTOS. 

Within  Point  Joetinga  we  found  a  capacious  bay  that 
seemed  to  have  no  fixed  name.  The  makers  of  charts 
had  given  it  none,  and  so  left  it  to  the  discretion  of  any 
captains  who  might  visit  the  place.  It  was  necessary 
that  some  name  should  be  inscribed  in  the  log,  and  the 
master  therefore  called  it  Casatiba  Bay,  under  which 
name  it  may  be  discovered  in  the  Log  of  H.  M.  Steam 
sloop  "  Geyser'*  by  any  who  care  to  inspect  that  interest- 
ing document  at  the  Admiralty.  The  sailors  called  it 
by  the  less  dignified  name  of  "Orange  Bay,"  from  the 
abundance  of  that  fruit  which  they  plucked  on  shore.  Of 
course  this  title  was  banished  from  the  ship's  log.  Any 
one  who  should  exclaim,  "what's  in  a  name?"  at  the 
Admiralty,  would  find  that  Shakspeare  is  not  generally 
recognised  as  a  naval  authority,  and  has  no  interest 
in  the  matter  of  promotions  and  appointments. 


150  BRAZIL, 

Pin  ding  the  place  thinly  inhabited  by  the  human  race, 
and  almost  destitute  of  spirituous  liquors,  the  captain 
resolved  upon  giving  a  general  leave,  and  letting  the 
seamen  run  riot  among  the  oranges.  The  governor  of 
the  place,  whom  he  consulted,  had  no  objection.  So  all, 
or  nearly  all,  the  men  were  turned  ashore,  and  general 
leave  was  also  granted  to  the  officers. 

We  found  the  delegarde^  a  worthy  obliging  old 
gentleman,  standing  before  his  cottage  door  in  light 
attire,  with  all  the  rural  simplicity  of  a  village  philoso- 
pher, reminding  us  of  "my  neighbour  Flamborough" 
when  called  upon  to  honour  Mr.  Jenklnson's  note  of 
hand.  The  delegarde  of  a  Brazilian  village  seems  to 
unite  in  his  own  person  the  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  the  parson,  clerk,  constable,  churchwarden,  and  all 
who  are  in  authority  in  an  English  village.  The 
government  of  an  English  village  is  a  representative 
government,  like  that  of  the  country,  while  that  of  a 
Brazilian  village  is  a  despotism  tempered  by  want  of 
power.  How  the  governors  are  appointed  I  cannot  say. 
They  are  generally  the  richest  in  the  place,  frequently 
the  owners  of  the  largest  shop.  Their  power  does  not 
seem  to  be  great,  or  generally  recognised.  But  as 
a  village  keeps  itself  in  order  without  much  jurisdiction, 
perhaps  their  authority  is  not  needed,  and  the  governor 
of  Casatiba  did  not  seem  likely  to  obtrude  it  upon  his 


ORANGE  BAT.  151 

subjects  in  an  officious  manner.  Though  dignified,  he 
did  not  think  himself  degraded  by  selling  fowls,  eggs, 
and  fruit.  He  kept  a  small  store  in  his  house  of 
articles  of  food,  among  which  was  some  English 
porter. 

After  holding  a  short  conversation  with  him,  we 
went  into  the  country  for  a  walk.  The  scenery  here  was 
of  a  quiet  subdued  order  of  beauty,  not  partaking  of 
that  gorgeous  character  that  generally  distinguishes  the 
scenery  of  the  tropics.  We  plunged  into  an  orange 
grove  at  the  back  of  the  village,  where  several  of  our 
men  were  plucking  the  ripe  fruit,  and  feasting  upon  it 
with  all  the  energy  of  school-boys  let  loose  upon  a  pastry- 
cook's. The  air  was  thick  and  heavy  with  the  perfume 
of  the  oranges.  On  all  sides  you  saw  nothing  but 
branches,  bowing  beneath  the  load  of  their  golden  fruit. 
At  the  further  end  of  this  grove  we  came  to  a  stream, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  which  was  a  gate,  a  positive 
miracle  in  so  remote  a  quarter.  We  turned  back  here  to 
feast  on  the  oranges.  Some  we  found  whose  skins  were 
perfectly  black,  from  the  richness  of  their  pulp.  What 
became  of  them  in  general  seemed  doubtful ;  an  English 
man-of-war  does  not  come  yearly  to  thin  the  trees  of 
their  profusion. 

In  one  corner  of  the  bay  was  a  fresh-water  lake,  on 
which  the  men  were  paddling  about  in  canoes.     One 


152  BRAZIL. 

canoe  had  a  large  leak  just  above  the  water  line, 
and  while  its  inhabitant  paddled  on  in  blissful  uncon- 
sciousness of  this  danger,  a  swimmer  would  come  behind 
and  weigh  down  the  canoe  till  the  water  rushed  in  at 
this  leak,  and  caused  the  vessel  to  turn  a  somer- 
sault. 

As  twilight  advanced,  and  the  shades  of  night  came 
down  more  darkly,  the  fire-flies  were  seen  flitting  from 
bush  to  bush,  like  sparks  struck  from  a  grindstone. 
The  black  mountains  around  frowned  upon  the  bay. 
The  Geyser  lay  upon  the  waters,  a  dark  and  indistinct 
mass,  her  spars  rising  in  strong  relief  against  the  sky, 
while  the  lio^hts  from  her  stern  shed  a  flickerinor  orlare 
over  the  tossing  waves,  gleaming  capriciously  on  the 
boats  that  pulled  from  the  shore. 

Next  day  the  governor  and  his  two  sons  came  to 
breakfast  with  the  captain,  who  invited  some  of  the 
officers,  and  amongst  them  "  the  writer  of  these  pages" 
to  meet  his  distinguished  guests.  The  governor — I  do 
not  apply  to  him  that  word  in  its  slang,  but  in  its  official 
sense — was  of  a  gross  habit  of  body,  and  might  well  be 
called  a  ^'  heavy  father ;"  while  his  two  sons  were  "  lean 
and  hungry,"  and  would  have  excited  Cassar's  displea- 
sure as  much  as  Cassius.  A  grand  breakfast  had 
been  prepared,  to  which  the  governor  did  justice,  being 
probably  a  perfect  stranger  to  most  of  the  inojredients 


TAKE  A  'POOy,  PIG.  153 

of  the  meal.  But  the  sons  held  back,  saying  they  had 
breakfasted  before,  and  confined  themselves  to  a  cup  of 
tea.  During  breakfast  the  steward  handed  round  a 
dish  of  marmalade.  One  of  the  sons  took  a  spoonful, 
and  in  evident  bewilderment  popped  it  into  his  tea. 
Then,  seeing  that  the  spoon  was  not  free  from  small 
particles  of  the  marmalade,  he  thrust  it  into  his  mouth, 
licked  it  hastily,  and  replaced  it  in  the  dish.  The  old 
governor  got  on  swimmingly,  being  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  sardines  and  potted  meat,  much  to  his 
satisfaction. 

On  my  next  visit  to  the  shore,  I  went  for  a  short 
trip  upon  the  lake.  I  got  a  canoe,  and  paddled  about 
exploring  shallow  parts,  where  tiny  streams  trickled 
down  among  rocks,  and  dashing  up  broad  arms  of  the 
lake,  where  I  found  the  water  far  too  shallow  even  for 
so  small  a  craft.  I  was  upset  three  times,  owing  to  the 
culpable  negligence  of  my  companion.  Being  wet 
through,  I  bathed,  and  found  others  follow  my  example, 
A  fat  boatswain's  mate,  while  swimming  about, 
suddenly  shrieked,  and  retreated  to  the  shore,  being 
frightened  by  what  he  called  a  small  alligator,  which 
caused  him  to  shake  throufrh  his  fat  in  the  most 
ludicrous  manner.  Beyond  the  lake  was  a  hill,  on  the 
side  and  summit  of  which  was  another  village,  with 
which  our  governor  had  no  connection.     I  walked  with 


154  BRAZIL. 

another  up  this  hill,  finding  in  our  way  a  cocoa-nut  tree 
low  enough  to  enable  us  to  reach  some  of  its  fruit,  and 
drain  them  of  their  milk.  Real  cocoa-nut  milk,  when 
fresh  and  new,  is  as  different  from  the  oil  that  goes 
under  that  name  in  England,  as  fresh  milk  is  from  chalk 
and  water.  On  arriving  at  the  summit  of  this  hill, 
the  ascent  of  which  was  remarkably  steep,  we  came  to 
some  houses.  Before  one  front  door  a  parent  was 
seated,  whose  daughter  was  engaged  in  removing 
certain  animals  from  his  person.  Further  on,  we  met  a 
sportsman  with  a  small  bird  in  his  hand,  a  trophy 
earned  by  a  rusty  old  gun,  which,  of  course,  he  was 
willing  to  sell.  A  Brazilian  is  always  ready  to  sell  any 
thing  belonging  to  him,  if  he  thinks  he  will  not  get 
more  from  another  bidder.  I  doubt  whether  he  would 
stick  at  disposing  of  his  soul,  in  the  established  melo- 
dramatic manner. 

In  the  governor's  orange  grove  we  found  the  men 
hard  at  work  as  before,  strewing  the  ground  with 
trophies  of  victory  in  the  shape  of  orange  skins. 

A  circumstance  which  took  place  to  day  leads  me  to 
doubt  the  excellence  of  Brazilian  tobacco,  and  perfectly 
justifies  me  in  attributing  to  it  more  noxious  properties 
than  ever  did  a  certain  monarch,  author  of  a  "  Counter- 
blast to  Tobacco."  I  am  not  aware  that  the  herba 
nicotiana^  sive  tobacco,  was  ever  before  found  to  exercise 


EFFECTS  OF  BRAZILIAN  TOBACCO.  155 

such  a  baneful  influence  over  the  human  faculties,  as  it  did 
in  the  case  I  am  about  to  relate.  One  of  our  engineers 
was  found  stretched  in  the  paddle-box  boat,  that  was 
hauled  up  on  the  beach,  in  a  state  of  blissful  uncon- 
sciousness. We,  poor  ignorant  mortals,  fancied  this 
arose  from  drink,  having  a  little  experience  in  the  effects 
of  liquor.  From  the  defence  set  up  by  the  engineer 
when  he  was  hauled  over  the  coals,  we  learnt  the 
powers  of  Brazilian  tobacco,  which  may  hereafter  be 
classed,  by  some  scientific  inquirer,  with  the  salmon 
eaten  at  public  dinners. 

"  I  wasn't  drunk,  sir,  not  by  no  means.  I  was  just 
kinder  stupefied,  sir,  not  by  drink  at  all.  I'll  just  tell 
ye  how  it  was.  I  had  one  glass,  or  it  may  be  two 
glasses,  or  it  might  be  three  glasses,  sir,  o'  porter,  and  one 
glass  o'  grog,  which  wasn't  nothing  like  enough  to  make 
me  drunk,  sir!  And  then  I  filled  my  pipe,  and  lit  it,  sir — 
some  of  this  B'zillan  baccar  it  was,  sir,  and  then  I  felt 
quite  stupefied,  sir.  I  know'd  I  was  in  the  boat,  and  I 
know'd  you  was  there,  and  I  heerd  all  you  said,  sir ; 
but  I  couldn't  speak.  It  was  the  'eat  (I  suppress  the 
obvious  pun,  which  jMr.  Cuthbert  Bede  may  wish  to 
make  on  some  future  occasion)  of  the  day,  and  the 
B'zilian  baccar,  I  think,  sir.  But  to  say  I  was  drunk, 
sir,  is  ludicrous  ;  I  was  only  stupefied,  sir  !" 

Here  ends  my  account  of  Casatiba;  but  I  must  not 


156  BRAZIL. 

omit  to  mention  that  we  bought  some  bullocks  of  the 
governor  at  remarkably  cheap  rates.  If  these  pages 
should  fall  into  the  hands  of  any  captain  of  any  ship  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil,  I  would  recommend  him  to  pay  a 
visit  to  Casatiba,  where  he  will  probably  be  received 
with  as  much  civility  as  that  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the 
''  Geyser." 

To  the  southward  of  the  islands  that  I  described 
before,  lies  that  of  St.  Sebastian,  running  parallel  to 
the  mainland,  and  forming  a  channel  through  which 
steamers  can  go  safely  and  easily  enough.  In  this 
island  is  a  bay  named  Sombreo,  which  we  visited.  We 
found  it  to  be  only  partially  cleared  and  cultivated. 
Much  of  it  was  covered  with  thick  wood,  and  the  soil 
seemed  stubborn.  It  belonged  to  a  planter  who  lived 
elsewhere,  and  left  the  control  of  the  place  to  two 
negroes,  who  lived  alone  in  a  mud  hut.  But  though 
deserted  by  the  human  race,  the  bay  teemed  with  mus- 
quitoes,  and  an  almost  viler  class  of  flies  called  burrah- 
shutahs.  Any  one  who  should  write  an  ode  to  Brazilian 
scenery  would  probably  begin, 

"  Ye  mountains,  on  whose  woody  heights 
The  greedy  burrahshutah  bites ; 
Ye  forests,  in  whose  tangled  mazes 
The  dire  mosquitoes  sting  like  blazes!" 

and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  canto.     Things  that  would 


A  DEPOT  FOR  SLAVES.  157 

be  romantic  and  poetical  in  themselves,  are  sadly  spoiled 
by  the  introduction  of  such  utilitarian  adjuncts  as  mus- 
quitoes.  Greedy  animals,  I  am  ashamed  of  you.  Can- 
not you  for  once  forego  your  dinner,  and  feast  your 
mind  with  the  poetry  of  the  landscape? 

This  bay  had  evidently  at  one  time  been  a  rendezvous 
and  watering-place  for  slavers.  In  one  corner  a  stream 
gushed  down  through  runnels  and  artificial  channels, 
one  of  which  was  the  "  leaguer  "  or  water  caslc  so  much 
used  in  the  slave  trade.  We  found  this  place  very  con- 
venient for  replenishing  our  tanks.  Our  modus  operandi 
was  to  clear  out  and  clean  out  one  of  the  paddle-box 
boats,  tow  it  ashore,  and  turn  the  stream  into  it  by  one 
of  our  hoses :  then  to  tow  it  alongside,  and  empty  it  by 
means  of  our  fire-engines. 

I  landed  at  this  place  on  one  occasion,  "We,  for  of 
course  I  always  had  a  companion  with  me,  went  to  the 
hut  where  the  negroes  dwelt,  and  struck  up  an  acquain- 
tance with  them.  Their  abode  was  low  and  filthy  in 
the  extreme.  A  piece  of  meat  that  hung  against  the 
wall,  was  covered  with  crawling  animals,  to  whose 
presence  the  negroes  seemed  absolutely  indifferent. 
One  of  them  was  much  marked  with  the  scars  of  the 
lash  and  fetter,  and  complained  that  his  master  ill-treated 
him.  I  think  it  right  to  add,  that  1  found  no  other 
negro  in  Brazil  who  made  the  same  complaint.     ATe 


158  BRAZIL. 

gave  these  two  men  some  tobacco,  wliich  they  received 
with  avidity.  Just  round  their  hut  the  ground  was 
cleared,  and  fruit  grew  there.  There  were  plenty  of 
bananas  and  oranges,  but  the  latter  were  hard  and  of  a 
bad  kind.  There  was  one  lemon  tree,  covered  with 
silvery  fruit  like  patches  of  snow,  or  gleams  of  moon- 
light through  a  window.  These  fruits,  of  course,  did  not 
belong  to  the  negroes,  and  they  were  consequently  glad 
enouo-h  to  sell  them  at  a  triflinoj  sum.  A  bunch  of 
bananas  cost  twopence,  a  basketful  of  oranges  or  lemons 
the  same.  If  asked  how  they  could  afford  to  sell  things 
so  cheaply,  they  might  have  answered,  wath  the  country- 
man whom  Tom  Sheridan  met,  "  they  bea'nt  none  of 
them  mine."  In  all  other  parts  but  just  around  the 
negroes'  hut,  the  wood  was  quite  impassable. 

From  Sombreo  one  day  we  stood  towards  the  passage 
between  St.  Sebastian  and  the  mainland.  The  shore 
here  was  high  and  bold,  with  well-wooded  promontories 
stretching  out  far  ahead,  with  a  sort  of  indistinct  haze 
hanging  around  them.  Skirting  the  shore,  and  marking 
the  contrast  between  the  dark  foliage  that  clothed  these 
jutting  points,  and  the  dazzling  white  sand  of  the  bays 
they  enclosed,  we  entered  upon  the  channel.  The  depth 
of  water  is  greatest  near  the  island,  on  which  the  scenery 
is  magnificent.  The  steep  rocky  sides  of  the  mountain 
ridge  that  ran  parallel  to  the  channel,  were  interspersed 


I 


PORTUGUESE  AND  BRAZILIAN  BUILDERS.  159 

with  belts  of  forest;  and  through  breaks  among  these  trees 
many  a  white  cataract  dashed  down  in  a  straight  line  of 
foam.  Over  one  pinnacle  of  rock,  in  a  woody  thicket 
that  stood  on  a  higher  pinnacle,  appeared  a  mass  of  red 
flowers,  like  a  gigantic  ruby  set  in  the  rock,  or  as  if  a 
fountain  of  the  purest  wine  bubbled  up  from  the  hard 
stone. 

Occasionally  we  passed  some  village  or  isolated  houscj, 
while  tiny  canoes  darted  out  from  the  shore  with  their 
sails  spread,  and  flew  across  the  strait.  In  one  of  the 
iiamlets  we  saw  traces  of  Portuguese  hands.  Though 
small  and  dilapidated,  it  yet  possessed  a  white  church  in 
the  midst  of  mud  houses.  The  antiquity  of  the  sacred 
building  was  not  the  sole  proof  of  its  origin.  The 
presence  of  a  church  is  in  itself  sufficient  to  show  whether 
Portuguese  or  Brazilians  have  founded  the  village.  It 
is  said  that  the  first  building  that  Portuguese  settlers 
erect  is  a  church  :  the  first  Brazilians  build  is  a  frrogf- 
shop.  We  order  these  matters  better  in  England,  and 
build  both  at  the  same  time. 

The  town  of  St.  Sebastian  stands  on  the  mainland 
opposite  to  the  island,  which  also  boasts  a  town  named 
Villa  Nova,  where,  according  to  Purdy,  refreshments  can 
be  obtained.  What  this  term  is  supposed  to  include,  is 
doubtful.  The  island  lies  in  latitude  23°  51'  south,  and 
longitude  45**  46'  west.     This  for  the  information  of  all 


160 


BRAZIL. 


whom  it  may  concern.  Some  little  way  below  lie  the  bay, 
town,  and  river  of  Santos,  where  there  is,  or  ought  to 
be,  an  English  vice-consul.  We  merely  stayed  there 
half  a  day,  so  we  had  no  intercourse  with  that  official. 
When  we  visited  the  bay,  we  found  a  Swedish  barque 
at  anchor  close  under  the  fort.  We  had  some  reason  to 
suspect  her  of  slaving  propensities,  and  waited  three 
days  outside  the  bay  to  capture  her  if  she  thought  fit  to 
appear,  and  if  her  guilt  remained  as  clear  as  before. 

We  may  reasonably  conclude  that  English  men-of-war 
have  a  perfect  right  to  board  vessels,  or  to  capture  them, 
even  when  they  are  under  the  shelter  of  Brazilian  forts. 
In  Rio  Janeiro,  this  right  is  not  conceded  to  our  men-of- 
war.  It  is  perhaps  injudicious  to  attempt  the  seizure 
of  any  ship  under  a  fort,  because  many  commanders 
of  forts  have  an  opinion  in  favour  of  the  slave  trade,  and 
would  open  fire  upon  your  vessel.  Any  such  fracas 
would  be  disagreeable. 


PORT  FRIO.  16! 


CHAPTER  XrV. 

PORT  FRIO — WRECK  OF  11. M.S.  THETIS — THE  VILLAGE  AND  FORT — 
CAPE  ST.  THOME — ODD  FISH — ^WHALES — CORYPHENES,  NOT  DOIr- 
PHINS — SHARKS. 

About  the  first  half  of  our  stay  in  Brazil  was  devoted 
to  cruising  to  the  southward.  For  the  latter  half  we 
migrated  to  the  northward,  our  cruising  ground  com- 
mencing with  the  Cape  St  Thome,  and  stretching  to 
tlie  river  of  Espiritu  Santo.  When  I  state  that  this 
cruising  ground  was  more  monotonous  than  the  last, 
people  will  call  me  gloomy,  and  say  that  I  took  the  worst 
view  of  naval  life.  My  only  revenge  will  be  to  wish 
they  had  a  short  trial  of  my  situation  there.  Perhaps 
they  would  then  retract  their  opinion,  if  they  could  do 
so  with  dignity. 

The  nearest  port  to  Rio  Janeiro  going  northwards  is 
Port  Frio,  a  bay  within  the  cape  of  the  same  name. 
Some  interest  attached  to  Cape  Frio  from  the  circum- 
stances of  the  >vreck  of  II.  M.  S.  Thetis,  which  vessel 
was  lost  here  with  many  lives,  and  some  gold.     Sho 


iM  BRAZIL. 

sailed  from  Rio  on  her  homeward  voyage,  bearing  with 
her  a  large  freight.  Driven  out  of  her  course  by  cur- 
rents, of  whose  existence  neither  the  captain  nor  master 
were  aware,  prevented  from  ascertaining  her  position 
with  any  certainty  by  thick  fogs,  the  Thetis  suddenly 
discovered  that  the  land,  which  was  supposed  to  be  far 
removed,  was  close  ahead.  The  cape  rises  1000  feet 
almost  perpendicularly  from  the  sea,  and  its  great  height 
causes  an  equal  depth  of  water  at  its  base.  Conse- 
quently the  ill-fated  vessel  came  with  a  crash  against 
the  rocky  sides  before  touching  the  bottom.  The  masts 
at  once  fell,  crushing  many  of  the  men.  She  then  drifted 
into  a  cove,  and  many,  including  the  captain,  were 
enabled  to  land  here  safely,  by  a  rope  hitched  round  one 
of  the  rocks.  Some  got  over  to  the  village  in  canoes, 
till  the  avaricious  natives  refused  their  services  any 
longer  unless  they  received  immediate  payment.  This 
the  poor  shipwrecked  men  were  not  in  a  position  to 
afford.  The  ship,  that  had  sunk  at  their  feet,  was  laden 
with  gold,  piles  of  which  metal  lay  within  a  few  flithoms 
of  them,  but  as  much  removed  from  them  as  ever  was 
the  food  from  the  grasp  of  Tantalus.  While  they  were 
thus  situated,  the  captain  of  the  fort  came  forward  and 
freely  advanced  forty  milrees  to  the  captain  of  the  Thetis, 
though  he  could  scarcely  expect  payment.  Such  is  true 
generosity,  though  he  did  not  head  any  subscription  list. 


II.  M,  a.  THETIS.  1C3 

ot  ask  for  an  I.  0.  U,  "just  as  a  mere  matter  of  form, 
my  dear  sir."  Eventually  the  sunken  treasure  was 
recovered.  The  crew  were  soon  rescued  from  their 
position  by  the  arrival  of  the  admiral,  and  some  ships 
from  Rio,  A  detailed  and  interesting  account  of  this 
wreck,  amongst  others,  is  to  be  found  in  "Gilly's  Siiip- 
wrecks  of  the  Royal  Navy." 

Port  Frio  is  a  beautiful  little  bay,  hemmed  in  by  high 
land.  The  best  anchorage  is  close  to  the  fort,  but  the,' 
bay  is  too  open  to  give  always  a  good  shelter.  Plenty 
of  fish  are  to  be  found  here.  Two  magnificent  rock  cod 
were  brought  alongside  by  the  natives,  and  sold  at  a 
milree  each.  The  "  stock,"  in  which  name  we  included 
all  fruit,  eggs,  and  poultry,  was  sent  principally  to  Rio, 
and  was  therefore  dearer  than  at  many  like  places  on 
the  coast.  The  canoes  are  of  a  larger  size  and  stroncrer 
built  than  the  general  run  of  such  vessels,  being  more- 
over propelled  by  oars,  instead  of  paddles.  The  princi-. 
pal  manufactures  of  this  village  are  cotton  ^shing-lines, 
made  of  undyed  cotton,  and  very  strongly  spun.  They 
are  dear  in  proportion  to  the  dyed  lines  that  \ye  saw  else- 
where. The  fowls  and  fruit  brought  alongside  did  not 
meet  with  aready  market,  being  too  dear.  The  master-at- 
arms,  who  was  a  Portuguese  scholar,  made  many  bargains, 
"Nvhich  he  conducted  chiefly  with  his  forefinger.  Encli 
motion  of  that  instrument  had  some  separate  signification. 


1C4  BRAZIL. 

First.  The  affirmative,  on  being  asked  if  he  wished 
to  buy. 

Second.  The  demonstrative^  as  pointing  out  the  articles 
of  his  choice. 

Third.  The  negative,  at  refusing  some  exorbitant 
charge. 

Fourth.  The  interrogative,  at  asking  the  price  again. 

Fifth.  The  indignant,  on  finding  it  higher  than 
before. 

Sixth.  The  sign  of  assent,  on  concluding  the  bargain 
favourably. 

Seeing  so  many  fish  brought  alongside,  we  landed  one 
morning  to  haul  the  seine,  in  a  sandy  bay,  where  was  a 
sloping  beach,  and  where  no  rocks  would  prove  destruc- 
tive to  the  meshes  of  the  net.  It  was  dark  when  we 
left  the  ship  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and,  as  we 
neared  the  shore,  the  white  sand  in  front  rose  like  a  wall, 
or  a  drift  of  snow.  On  landing  we  found  it  hard  and 
marbly,  very  fine,  moreover,  and  thus  very  comfortable, 
to  the  bare  feet.  Our  seine  hauling  ^vas  unsuccessfiil; 
three  draws  produced  only  three  large  fish  and  a  heap  of 
small  fry. 

Later  in  the  day  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  village.  I  step- 
ped into  a  fishing  canoe  that  had  come  alongside,  with 
an  old  man  armed  with  a  paddle  as  steerer,  and  two 
youths  as  rowers.     We  shoved  off^,  and  the  old  man. 


THE  VILLAGE.  1 Q5 

not  wishing  to  confine  himself  to  one  thing  at  a  time, 
hitched  a  fishing-line  round  his  great  toe,  and  let  it  tow- 
astern,  while  wielding  the  paddle  with  his  hands.  He  was 
barefooted,  like  most  inhabitants  of  Brazilian  villages. 
To  go  about  barefooted  does  not  much  suit  the  European, 
as  there  are  some  little  animals  peculiar  to  Brazilian 
shores,  called  jiggers,  that  get  into  your  foot,  form  a  bag 
for  the  procreation  of  children,  and  breed  at  the  rate  of 
one  per  minute.  The  bag  swells  and  swells,  giving  rise 
to  a  sensation  of  tickling,  and  has  finally  to  be  cut  out, 
leaving  behind  a  hole  in  your  foot. 

The  two  sons  gave  way,  and,  fiying  round  the  point 
on  which  the  fort  stood,  we  sped  onward,  under  the 
shade  of  a  rocky  cliff  crowned  with  wood,  and  landed  on 
the  white  sandy  beach  in  front  of  the  village.  There 
was  now  no  snri]  the  water  being  like  a  lake  or  mill- 
pond,  according  as  you  are  poetical,  or  the  reverse. 
A  lake  is  more  poetic  than  the  other,  but  not  always 
perfectly  still.  Two  men  stood  on  the  beach,  pouring 
sand  on  the  head  of  a  noble  rock  cod  that  no  one  in  the 
"  Geyser  "  would  buy.  Two  black  girls  were  conversing 
with  two  young  whites  in  those  gay  tones  that  belong 
to  flirtation.  The  village  is  a  miserable  hamlet,  com- 
posed chiefly  of  mud  huts,  amongst  which  stands  a 
church.  The  shops  were  poor  and  meagre.  I  wanted 
to  get  some  pimentos — i,  e.,  bird's  eye  pepper — which  the 


IG6  BRAZIL. 

Brazilians  use  extensively,  bolting  them  headlong  a 
dozen  at  a  time,  though  the  smell  and  sight  of  one  is 
enouirh  to  season  a  whole  dinner.  None  were  to  be 
had  here,  and,  finding  nothing  in  the  village,  1  set  off 
on  foot  towards  the  fort,  going  along  the  top  of  the 
cliff.  A  broad  walk  led  there,  plentifully  fringed  with  ; 
shrubs,  through  which  an  oecasional  break  gave  me  a ; 
view  of  the  sea,  its  blue  surface  gemmed  here  and 
there  by  a  solitary  white  crest.  At  the  end  of  this 
walk  was  a  heavy  gate,  that  required  to  be  climbed. 
Some  civilisation  was  apparent  in  this  gate,  and  the 
walk,  which  was  carefully  kept. 

I  found  the  fort  close  at  hand,  and  after  inspecting  its 
guns,  was  gazing  upon  the  sea,  standing  upon  a  small  pin- 
nacle, at  whose  feet  small  waves  were  breaking,  when  I 
heard  a  shout  behind,  and  turning  round  saw  a  gav.ky 
lad,  leading  a  mule  laden  with  bricks,  who  looked  inqui- 
sitively upon  me.  He  commenced  a  string  of  jabber,, 
which  I  cut  short  by  asking  if  he  were  the  captain 
of  the  fort.  He  answered  that  he  was — I  suppose  the 
weight  of  his  dignity  caused  his  ungainly  stooping ;  I 
asked  what  was  the  calibre  of  tlie  guns,  and  he  said 
they  were  four- pounders,  though  rather  resembling 
nines  or  twelves.  Part  of  the  guard-house  evidently 
needed  the  repairs  he  was  about  to  bestow.  As  I  was 
going,  he  called  me,  and  pointed  to  the  bricks  signi- 


CAPE  ST.  THOME.  107 

ficantly,  as  who  should  say,  "  Come  and  help  me ;"  but  to 
labour  under  a  hot  sun,  and  in  full  view  of  the  "  Geyser," 
would  have  been  too  heating  for  a  man,  and  too  undigni- 
fied for  an  officer. 

After  repassing  the  gate,  I  struck  into  a  narrow  path 
leading  to  the  beach,  where  we  had  hauled  the  seine. 
Frequently,  as  I  advanced,  the  quick  rustle  of  the  grass 
and  brushwood  told  of  some  lizard's  presence,  and 
occasionally  I  saw  its  little  eyes  peep  out  timidly  from 
a  thick  bush.  On  the  side  of  the  hill  above  this  beach 
much  broom  stuff  was  to  be  cut,  and  I  found  two  boats' 
crews  lopping  away  energetically  in  divers  parts  of  the 
wood. 

The  Cape  St.  Thome,  situated  a  little  to  the  north- 
ward of  Cape  Frio,  requires  much  caro  in  passing. 
The  cape  itself  is  low,  and  some  distance  to  seaward 
lie  some  dangerous  shoals.  On  a  cloudy  day,  the  sole 
course  to  be  pursued  is  to  go  slowly,  keep  far  from  the 
land,  have  leads  going  constantly,  and  a  good  look-out 
aloft  for  broken  water.  If  the  day  is  clear,  the  forms  of 
the  mountains  that  stand  inland  can  be  seen,  and  your 
course  steered  according  as  they  bear.  When  round- 
ing Cape  St.  Thome  from  the  northward,  you  should  keep 
Mount  Campos  in  a  N.W.  ^  N.  line  till  you  bring  the 
peak  of  Macahe,  that  resembles  a  man's  hand,  to  bear 
W.  I  S.  You  may  then  haul  in  and  steer  for  Cape  Frio, ' 


168  BRAZIL. 

the  course  to  which  would  be  about  S.W.  In  like 
manner^  when  coming  from  Rio  you  may  safely  steer  for 
Mount  Campos  when  it  bears  N.W. 

Near  Cape  St.  Thome  we  passed  a  turtle  lying  on  its 
back,  kicking  and  struggling  vigorously.  Here  also  I 
saw  a  far  more  remarkable  sight.  Between  us  and  the 
shore  twelve  whales  were  at  play,  lashing  the  water 
with  their  tails,  sending  the  foam  aloft  in  jets, 
while  the  roaring  produced  by  the  blows  of  their  tails 
sounded 

"  Loud  as  the  surge  * 

That  lashes  Lapland's  sounding  shore." 

Our  first  anchorage  after  passing  Cape  St.  Thome  was 
off  the  mouth  of  the  river  Campos.  On  the  banks  of 
this  river  is  the  town  of  St.  Joam  de  Campos,  where  an 
English  vice-consul  was  either  resident  or  was  expected 
to  be  at  some  indefinite  period.  Within  the  river  there 
is  depth  of  water  enough  for  small  vessels  by  the  south- 
eastern shore,  but  on  the  north-western  side  and  in 
the  middle  are  sand-banks  of  some  magnitude.  The 
bar  of  this  river  is  dangerous,  especially  when  the  wind 
blows  dead  in.  The  captain's  gig  was  capsized  in  cross- 
ing it  on  one  occasion. 

Our  first  cruise  here  lasted  more  than  a  month,  and 
was  most  monotonous.  In  my  diary  I  find  nothing  but 
such  entries  as, 


ODD  FISH.  1G9 

Tuesday. — Weighed,  and  proceeded  N.E.  Anchored 
in  seven  fathoms. 

Wednesday, — Weighed,  and  proceeded  S.  W.  Anchored 
in  eight  fathoms. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  such  constant  weighing  may 
keep  my  travels  from  being  too  heavy.  Naturally,  a 
continuous  narrative  of  this  period  would  be  as  dull  as 
the  period  itself,  and  an  author  should  not  make  his 
readers  suffer  all  the  evils  he  has  himself  encountered. 
Fishing  was  our  chief  amusement.  There  are  some  fish 
of  a  curious  kind  to  be  found  off  this  coast.  Some  there 
are  with  beaks  like  parrots,  with  marvellous  strength  of 
jaw,  possessing  also  white  bags  which,  when  the  fish  was 
angry,  were  swelled  out,  sundry  sharp  prickles  at  the 
same  time  appearing  upon  its  surface.  When  the  bag 
is  not  inflated,  these  prickles  are  soft  and  recumbent. 
The  bite  of  this  fish  seemed  stranore ;  one  of  them  bit 
through  the  stem  of  a  tobacco  pipe  with  the  greatest 
ease,  and  seemed  ready  to  try  its  powers  on  our  fingers. 
I  believe  this  fish  is  called  a  toad-fish.  The  flying  gurnet 
was  another  strange  order  of  fish.  It  had  large  wings, 
and  a  skin  of  brown  tint,  liberally  sprinkled  with  blue 
spots.  No  sooner  was  it  hauled  on  board  than  it  perched 
itself  on  the  deck  with  outspread  wings,  and  looked  so 
knowing  as  to  call  for  as  general  a  burst  of  laughter  as 
that  which  welcomes  a  professional  mountebank  on  the 


170  BRAZIL. 

Stage,  or  an  amateur  ditto  in  St.  Stephen's  Theatre.  I 
daresay  the  creature  winked,  though  I  was  not  sufficiently 
quicksighted  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  any  such  demonstra- 
tion. 

Several  fishing-boats  were  generally  seen  hovering 
about  off  this  coast.  They  are  managed  in  the  most 
lubberly  manner  conceivable.  One  came  alongside  the 
'^  Geyser"  to  inquire  about  a  boat  which  some  negroes 
■were  supposed  to  have  stolen.  They  took  the  sail  in 
some  way  from  us,  and  pulled  alongside,  leaving  their 
mast  up,  and  placing  our  cutter  that  hung  above  in 
eminent  danger  of  being  speared.  In  the  stern  sheets 
they  had  a  small  supply  of  food,  principally  consisting 
of  bananas,  not  very  fit  provisions  for  a  long  sea  voyage. 
The  fishing-lines  generally  used  in  these  craft  are  made 
of  cotton,  dyed  with  the  juice  of  the  mango.  Their 
hooks  are  made  of  white  steel,  not  of  blue,  and  are 
fastened  in  a  rather  peculiar  manner  to  the  lines.  They 
fasten  a  number  of  hooks  to  each  line,  one  above  the 
other,  so  that  when  they  light  upon  a  shoal  of  fish  they 
may  secure  more  than  one  at  each  draw. 

The  coast  here  is  so  low  that  the  water  is  correspond- 
ingly shallow,  and  therefore  gives  more  chances  of  fish 
than  the  deeper  parts.  We  have  sometimes  anchored 
in  fourteen  fathoms  out  of  sight  of  land.  It  was  found, 
however,  that  to  fish  satisfactorily,  it  was  better  not  to 


COaYPHHNES.  171 

anchor,  but  to  drift  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  or  so  an  hour. 
Only  rocky  bottoms  are  frequented  by  fish.  To  the 
southward  the  only  fish  we  had  met  with  had  been  the 
brilliant  coryphenes,  whole  shoals  of  which  were  in  the 
habit  of  clustering  round  us.  At  first  we  caught  many 
of  them  with  bait,  but  after  a  while  they  got  shy,  and 
we  had  to  throw  the  grains,  a  sort  of  trident,  at  them. 
Some  skill  was  required  in  handling  this  instrument.  I 
cannot  say  any  thing  new  about  the  beautiful  changing 
colours  of  these  fish,  but  perhaps  it  may  not  be  generally 
known  that  they  are  tolerable  eating.  Some  kinds  of 
coryphenes  are  poisonous.  The  way  to  test  them  is  to 
boil  a  sixpence  with  them,  when,  if  they  are  poisonous, 
the  coin  will  be  turned  black.  We  met  several  sharks 
of  course,  and  caught  a  small  one*  It  took  a  hook  that 
was  waiting  for  a  dolphin,  and  was  hauled  up.  Its 
motlier,  that  was  cruising  near,  flew  at  it,  and  seized  it 
in  her  teeth,  endeavouring  to  tear  it  away.  But  finding 
that,  instead,  she  also  was  being  hauled  up,  she  let  go, 
leaving  solid  marks  of  her  affection  upon  the  flesh  of 
her  offspring. 


172  vhazum 


CHAPTER  XV. 

EIYER  AND  TOWN  OF  ESPIRITU  SANTO— LEGEND — FORTIFICATIONS — 
THE  OLD  TOWN — WHAT  IS  TRUTH  ? — IN  THE  COUNTRY — COTTON 
HAMMOCKS — SHOPKEEPERS — FESTIVITIES  FROM  OUR  OWN  CORRE- 
SPONDENT—  excelsior!  —  BIRDS  OF  MANY  FEATHERS  —  SLAVE 
VESSELS. 

The  most  important  town  between  Rio  Janeiro  and 
Bahia  is  that  of  Espiritu  Santo,  which  was  the  northern 
limit  of  our  cruising  ground.  The  real  name  of  this 
town  is  Victoria,  but  it  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  Espiritu  Santo,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  custom 
of  the  country,  has  assumed  the  name  of  its  river.  It 
lies  about  250  miles  north  of  Rio.  Outside  the  mouth 
of  this  river  lies  the  bay  of  Espiritu  Santo,  in  which  we 
anchored  while  waiting  for  a  pilot.  The  entrance  to  the 
river  is  narrow,  flanked  by  two  high  mountains,  of  which 
Mount  Moreno  is  the  most  noticeable.  We  lay  a  day 
here  before  any  pilot  came,  in  obedience  to  our  signal. 
At  last  a  boat  came  alongside,  bearing  a  man  in  a  sort 
of  naval  uniform,  which  should  rather  be  called  multi- 
form, from  its  want  of  regularity  and  order.  This  per- 
son introduced  himself  as  pilot,  and  stated  that  we  could 
pass  the  bar  at  high  water,  when  there  would  be  thred 


KIVER  OF  ESPIRITU  SANTO.  173 

fathoms  on  the  shallowest  part.  We  drew  two  fathoms 
and  a  quarter,  so  that  some  caution  was  necessary  in 
ascending  this  stream.  We  steamed  up  at  a  snail's  pace, 
with  leads  constantly  going,  and  captain,  master,  and 
pilot  on  the  paddle-box. 

The  scenery  of  the  river  was  so  exquisite  that  a 
poetical  pilot  would  have  infallibly  run  the  ship  aground, 
through  constant  admiration  of  the  shore.  The  left  side 
was  mountainous,  the  right  was  a  space  of  water  studded 
with  islands  covered  with  the  cactus,  though  there  was 
no  earth  upon  them,  and  not  standing  room  for  two  per- 
sons. The  water  between  them  was  still  and  beautiful, 
as  if  it  knew  no  other  form.  On  the  summit  of  one  of 
the  mountains  on  the  left  hand,  amid  rocks  piled  upon 
each  other  fantastically,  as  if  they  had  been  the  shuttle- 
cocks of  giants,  stood  a  noble  fortress,  as  we  thought, 
but  which  proved  to  be  a  convent.  Sometimes  a  fair 
bay  spread  out  its  bosom,  showing  its  shores  covered 
with  dark  green  foliage,  and  the  few  white  cottages  at 
its  head  lying  peaceful  and  contented  in  an  ocean  of 
beauty.  Little  rocks  leaped  up  from  the  water  on  either 
side,  and  woody  points  shelved  down  from  the  higher 
mountains.  It  was  the  spot  for  poetry,  and  the  way- 
worn traveller  might  well  be  pardoned  for  giving  vent 
to  his  feelings  in  verse,  and  thus  filling  up  a  page,  more 
majorum. 


174  BRAZIL. 

Lightly  along  our  vessel  goes,     * 

Like  seabird  on  the  wing, 
Through  narrow  streams,  where  fragrant  blows 

Each  genial  air  of  spring. 

High  on  one  side  the  mountains  frown, 

Rocks  pile  on  rocks  their  head. 
Whence  many  a  streamlet  dashes  down. 

Clear  as  a  silver  thread. 

There  at  the  top,  midst  rear'd  up  rocks, 

An  ancient  building  stands, 
'Twould  brave  the  tempest's  fiercest  shocks, 

Or  foes'  presumptuous  hands. 

On  th'  other  side  low  isles  are  seen. 

Where  green  the  cactus  grows, 
And  where,  beneath  a  leafy  screen, 

The  humming-birds  repose. 

And  rippling  ocean  blandly  smiles 

Where,  in  soft  quiet,  rest 
The  clusters  thick  of  little  isles 

On  her  deceitful  breast. 

One  rock,  that  stood  at  the  mouth  of  one  of  these 
bays,  had  a  small  white  stone  cross  erected  upon  it.  On 
our  inquiring  the  meaning  of  this,  tradition,  speaking 
through  the  mouth  of  the  pilot,  informed  us  that,  when- 
ever the  slaves  have  a  holiday,  those  who  live  at  the 
town  of  Victoria  go  to  a  village  half-way  down  the  river, 
and  make  merry.  It  was  no  unusual  thing  for  the  slaves 
to  get  drunk  and  quarrel — in  fact,  it  was  the  regular 
thing.  It  was  no  less  usual,  for  knives  to  be  produced, 
and  for  one  o?  the  number  to  be  killed.     If,  on  this 


FORTIFICATIONS.  175 

tragical  termination  of  the  revel,  the  slayer  could  get 
into  his  canoe,  and  reach  the  stone  on  which  the  cross 
stood  before  being  captured,  he  was  safe  by  law,  but  if 
taken  before  reaching  this  point,  his  life  was  forfeit. 
This  is  a  curious  custom  certainly,  and  reminds  us  of 
the  cities  of  refuge  we  read  of  in  the  Old  Testament. 

The  sole  fortifications  that  I  noticed  were  two  little 
mud  forts,  mounting,  I  should  imagine  from  their  size, 
six  or  eight  guns  each.  These  did  not  seem  to  promise 
any  great  safety,  as  a  sixty-eight  pound  shot  well 
pitched,  would  knock  fort,  walls,  and  every  thing  to  that 
unknown  region  which  Yankees  call  immortal  smash. 
Now  we  went  close  under  the  shadow  of  the  lofty  Pan 
d'Azucar,  through  a  narrow  channel,  our  studding-sail 
booms  all  but  grazing  the  rocks  on  each  side.  Next 
minute  we  opened  the  harbour  and  town,  off  which  we 
anchored  in  four  fathoms.  Though  there  were  some  fine 
buildings  in  this  town,  amongst  which  the  governor's 
palace  (?)  is  most  conspicuous,  its  general  appearance  is 
any  thing  but  flourishing.  Most  of  the  houses  are  small, 
dirty,  and  insignificant,  while  the  larger  buildings  are 
going  speedily  to  decay. 

Half-way  down  the  river  lies  a  village,  called  the  old 
town,  in  which  the  chief  articles  manufactured  here, 
cotton  hammocks  namely,  are  to  be  bought  more  cheaply 
than  elsewhere.     The  kindness  of  one  of  my  former 


176  BRAZIL. 

messmates  enables  me  to  give  the  following  account  of 
the  manufactory,  which  the  unkindness  of  the  doctor 
disenabled  me  from  visiting: — 

.  .  .  .  "  A  party  of  us  went  down  to  the  old 
town,  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  about  a 
mile  from  the  entrance ;  beneath  the  convent,  and  at  the 
head  of  a  beautiful  little  bay.  There  are  extensive 
manufactures  of  the  Brazilian  cotton  hammocks  here, 
and  we  entered  several  houses  in  search  of  some.  A 
stock  was  soon  produced  at  prices  varying  from  three 
to  six  and  eight  milrees.  TPie  impatience  of  the  party 
for  a  ramble  prevented  me  from  making  many  observa- 
tions respecting  their  manufacture;  but  from  what  was 
seen,  the  process  appeared  very  simple.  The  frames 
were  about  seven  feet  long  by  three  wide;  and  the 
material  was  South  American  unbleached  cotton,  very 
strong. 

"  Havinoj  at  lentrth  succeeded  in  concludinoj  our  bar- 
gains  to  our  satisfaction,  we  started  for  the  convent,  that 
towered  above  us.  The  road  from  the  village  led  through 
a  small  wood  in  a  zigzag  course,  and,  by  the  remnants 
of  paving,  showed  evident  signs  that  formerly  much 
more  care  had  been  bestowed  upon  it,  than  it  is  now  in 
the  habit  of  receiving.  The  position  of  the  convent  is 
very  conspicuous,  and,  as  it  is  situated  on  the  pinnacle  of 
a  high  hill,  a  view  from  it  takes  in  a  long  range  of  coast 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH  ?  177 

from  north  to  south.  On  the  river  side'  the  hill  is 
almost  perpendicular,  but  on  the  land  side  it  slopes  away 
to  an  extensive  and  well-wooded  plain,  which  extends 
for  miles  along  the  south  eastern  coast,  and  is  met  some 
few  miles  inland  by  a  range  of  fertile  hills. 

^'  The  convent  itself  contained  little  worthy  of  notice  " 
(I  am  ashamed  of  you,  O  heretical  messmate  !  for  giving 
vent  to  such  a  sentiment).  "  The  chapel  was  small, 
though  possessing  an  organ,  and  the  establishment  was 
used  for  nuns  of  the  coloured  race,  none  of  whom  were 
visible  to  us  heretics." 

Though  my  messmate  saw  none  of  these  inmates  of 
the  convent,  some  of  the  youngest  boys,  who  landed 
under  the  supervision  of  the  master-at-arms,  stated  that 
they  fell  in  with  some  of  them  in  a  primitive  state  of 
clothing.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  boys 
were  Protestants,  and  Protestants  can  never  tell  the 
truth,  even  when  they  have  no  motive  for  doing  other- 
wise. These  boys  had  been  probably  educated  in  lying 
from  their  cradles,  and  might  not  know  that  all  saints 
are  virtuous,  or  might  venture  to  cast  a  stigma  upon  the 
holiness  of  "  His  Holiness." 

When  I  first  landed  in  the  town  of  Victoria,  I  found 
it  invaded  by  a  party  of  drunken  seamen,  whose  faces  I 
easily  recognised.  Leave  had  been  granted  to  our  men, 
the  consequences  of  which  may  be   readily  imagined. 


178  BRAZIL. 

Some  were  feeling  about  the  town  wildly,  others  sat  at 
the  corners  of  the  streets,  like  mourners  lamenting  over 
the  follies  and  vices  of  the  age,  and  affording  striking 
texts  for  their  own  meditations.  After  looking  into 
some  of  the  shops,  and  finding  a  pitiable  want  of  solids 
of  every  kind,  and  an  equally  pitiable  abundance  of 
fluids,  we  sallied  into  the  country,  emerging  from  the 
filthy  streets,  like  butterflies  from  their  primitive  fast- 
nesses, from  all  the  miseries  of  a  Brazilian  town  to  all 
the  freshness  of  a  Brazilian  country*  The  breeze  brooded 
softly  over  the  fragrant  meadow,  and  rustled  musically 
through  the  woodland,  kissing  the  tresses  of  the  trees, 
and  bearing  on  its  wings  the  purest  delights.  We 
passed  up  a  grassy  slope,  and  came  to  a  wood,  through 
which  we  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  our  way.  We 
were  in  such  a  maze  of  beauty  that  we  could  scarce  stop 
to  notice  the  broad  leaves,  firm  and  unbending  as  swords, 
their  lower  parts  tinted  with  the  most  delicate  red,  that 
rose  on  each  side  of  the  path*  Beyond  this  copse,  we 
stopped  in  a  meadow,  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  and  surveyed 
from  thence  the  river^  meandering  in  graceful  curves 
through  the  valley,  its  countless  ripples  flashing  back  the 
sun's  rays,  while  houses  grouped  along  its  banks,  set  off 
by  green  shrubs  and  bushes  in  wanton  luxuriance. 

"  Such  things  as  make  deep  silence  in  the  heart, 
Tor  thought  to  do  her  part.'* 


COTTON  HAMMOCKS.  179 

In  this  meadow  was  a  cottage,  at  which  we  stopped 
to  procure  some  drink.  A  woman,  a  boy,  and  a  dog, 
were  the  sole  inhabitants.  The  latter,  after  barking  at 
and  biting  me,  disappeared  into  the  background ;  the 
two  former  were  more  courteous.  The  boy  got  us 
a  cocoa-nut  from  a  tree  near  the  house,  knocking  the 
nut  down  by  means  of  a  long  pole.  At  the  foot  of  the 
tree  stood  a  rock,  on  which  the  delicate  tracery  of  the 
leaves  above  was  minutely  and  carefully  reflected. 
On  another  rock,  several  ears  of  Indian  corn  were 
baskins  in  the  sun.  The  outer  skin  of  the  ears  is  used 
by  the  Brazilians  for  the  formation  of  cigarettes,  tobacco 
being  rolled  up  in  them,  just  as  in  Turkey  it  is  rolled  up 
in  thin  leaves  of  paper. 

Having  now  enjoyed  the  country  sufficiently,  we 
were  better  qualified  for  exploring  the  town.  We 
walked  up  by  the  governor's  residence,  and  met  that 
identical  potentate,  a  stout  little  gentleman,  in  a  blue 
coat  and  brass  buttons.  We  went  through  the  grass- 
grown  square,  that  had  unmistakeably  run  to  seed,  and 
entered  some  shops  in  search  of  cotton  hammocks  and 
Brazilian  lace.  I  managed  to  get  a  cotton  hammock, 
smaller  certainly  and  dearer  than  it  would  have  been 
at  the  manufactory,  but  not  therefore  to  be  despised. 

Stories  about  the  lace  had  been  in  circulation.  A 
lieutenant  had  brought  some  of  very  fine  quality  on 


180  BRAZIL. 

board,  which  he  was  pleased  to  consider  a  bargain,  and 
one  which  would  have  an  effect  on  somebody  in 
England.  If  the  said  somebody  was  as  much  skilled  in 
lace  as  might  be  expected  of  one  of  the  fair  sex,  she 
would  soon  detect  that  the  specimen  of  Brazilian 
manufacture  had  been  made  in  England,  and  exported 
to  the  Brazils.  She  would  then  ask  the  price  of  it  per 
yard,  and  inform  her  travelled  acquaintance  that  the 
same  lace  could  be  bought  at  Messrs.  Bobbins'  establish- 
ment for  one-fourth  of  what  he  paid  for  it  at  Espiritu 
Santo.  Sometimes  we  learn  more  at  home  about  the 
places  we  have  visited,  than  we  did  when  actually  in 
the  very  places,  with  all  our  eyes  open,  and  our  ears  at 
full  stretch.  We  found  the  Brazilian  lace  remarkably 
coarse,  and  that  any  of  good  quality  came  from  England. 
The  shopmen,  having  no  motives  for  concealing  these 
particulars,  informed  us  freely  which  lace  was  English. 
It  may  seem  curious  to  a  nation  of  shopkeepers,  but 
it  is  yet  a  fact,  that  Brazilians  have  rather  a  repug- 
nance to  the  trouble  of  selling.  No  Brazilian  John 
Gilpin  would  have  alighted  from  his  horse,  at  the  sight 
of  two  customers.  In  England,  if  you  ask  for  some 
article  that  is  not  on  sale,  the  shopman  presses  you  to 
buy  something  else,  which  he  considers  a  fit  substitute. 
In  Brazil,  if  you  ask  for  any  thing  that  is  on  sale,  the 
shopman  presses  you  to  aek  for  something  else,  which  he 


FESTIVITIES.  181 

does  not  keep,  that  he  may  save  himself  the  trouble  of 
serving  you. 

Through  the  agency  of  some  small  ragged  boys, 
whose  hearts  were  opened  by  the  present  of  a  vinten 
each,  we  procured  some  fowls  and  eggs,  with  which  we 
returned  on  board,  to  find  a  party  of  guests  assembled. 
Such  a  fashionable  proceeding  could  not  lack  its  vates 
sacer,  who  accordingly,  under  the  title  of  "our  own  cor- 
respondent," gave  the  following  account  of  the  ceremony, 
which  duly  appeared  in  some  newspaper. 

FESTIVITIES  AT  ESPIRITU  SANTO. 
{From  our  own  Correspondent.) 

Yesterday  a  party,  consisting  of  some  of  the  SHte  of 
this  town,  went  on  board  the  English  war  steamer  at  the 
invitation  of  her  captain.  After  partaking  of  a  repast, 
served  in  the  noble  milords  apartment  with  great  splen- 
dour, the  party  proceeded  to  the  upper  deck,  where  an 
a^vning  decorated  with  flags  overcanopied  their  heads. 
Music  now  struck  up,  and  the  guests  betook  themselves 
to  the  noble  sport  of  dancing.  The  gallant  captain 
called  on  one  of  the  young  officers  of  the  ship  to  take  part 
in  the  dance,  by  taking  the  hand  of  a  young  lady ;  but 
this  invitation  the  ungallant  young  officer  declined, 
excusing  himself  politely,  and  without  any  use  of  the 
English  national  exclamation.    Evidently  the  Britishers 


182  BRAZIL. 

had  put  on  their  best  manners  in  welcoming  us  on  board, 
for  I  did  not  hear  the  national  oath  of  God  dam  once 
during  my  visit.  It  is  in  such  general  use,  that  a 
learned  Englishman  has  published  a  work,  showing 
that  it  is  uttered  once  every  five  minutes  by  every 
man,  woman,  and  child  in  Great  Britain.  This  is 
certainly  astounding.  I  noticed  a  group  of  midshipmen 
standing  apart  from  the  dancers,  conversing  with  a 
small  dark  page,  whose  attire  was  handsome,  consisting 
of  a  glazed  hat  with  a  gold  band,  a  blue  jacket  with 
yellow  buttons,  and  a  pair  of  top-boots.  An  elderly 
lady  was  noticed  with  peculiar  attention  by  these  mid- 
shipmen, and  I  understand  that  some  rumours  were  in 
circulation  concerning  her  age,  some  midshipmen  assert- 
ing her  to  be  thirty-two,  others  only  eighteen.  By 
special  information  of  a  peculiar  character,  I  am  enabled 
to  state  that  the  latter  conjecture  was  correct;  but  as 
our  ladies  grow  old  when  quite  young,  comparatively 
speaking,  and  as  this  lady  had  a  son  aged  four,  and  a 
second  child  of  tenderer  years,  the  former  guess  should 
be  by  no  means  considered  ill  founded. 

The  dancing  over,  the  sailors  on  the  forecastle  enter- 
tained the  company  with  some  songs,  one  of  which 
being  the  request  of  a  certain  negro  to  a  certain  dam- 
sel named  Susannah,  that  she  would  refrain  from  tears 
on  his  account,  as  he  was  going  a  journey  on  hers,  had 


OUR  OWN  CORRESPONDENT.  1 83 

a  striking  effect,  as  all  the  sailors  joined  in  each  chorus. 
The  life  of  the  chief  singer  is  somewhat  remarkable,  as 
he  had  once  appeared  on  the  stage.  In  my  next  letter,  I 
purpose  to  commence  a  biography  of  this  remarkable  man. 

The  company  now  returned  to  the  sliore,  the  popular 
and  high-spirited  captain  causing  blue  lights  to  be 
burned  and  rockets  to  be  thrown  up,  that  light  might 
shine  upon  the  benighted  guests  as  they  returned  to 
the  shore.  The  fire-works  flung  a  glare  upon  the  build- 
ings that  stood  close  to  the  water's  edge,  and  lighted  up 
the  faces  of  the  wonder-struck  peasants,  who  thronged 
the  streets  all  agape  with  wonder.  As  I  climbed  up 
behind  my  lady's  carriage,  I  could  not  refrain  from  cast- 
ing a  farewell  look  at  the  vessel,  to  the  detriment  of  my 
silk  stockings,  that  had  been  put  on  clean  for  the  occa- 
sion, and  were  now  unsightly  from  mud  splashes. 

To-day  the  Brazilian  steamer  "  Maria  "  arrived  here, 
and  has  been  busy  taking  in  wood,  which  is  used 
generally  by  Brazilian  steamers  instead  of  coal,  which 
would  be  too  expensive.  Her  captain  and  the  governor 
ofEspiritu  Santo  were  on  bad  terms,  which  accounts 
for  the  absence  of  the  governor  from  our  festivities. 

The  next  morning  I  landed  early,  with  some  of  my 
messmates,  for  an  excursion  up  the  river.  It  was  then 
about  five  in  the  morning,  and  was  raining  furiously. 


184  BRAZIL. 

While  the  others  went  to  look  for  a  canoe,  I  hoisted  my- 
self, with  a  gun  and  basket  of  provisions,  into  a  ruinous 
house,  having  one  room  completely  to  myself.  The  rest 
of  the  house  seemed  closed  and  inhabited ;  the  room  I 
occupied  was  open  on  one  side  by  the  absence  of  the 
wall,  and  had  sundry  cavities  in  its  floor.  The  rain,  how- 
ever, did  not  penetrate.  I  saw  my  messmates  wander- 
ing disconsolately  about  the  streets,  that  shone  with  rain, 
and  presently  a  Brazilian  came  to  prepare  a  canoe,  in 
which  we  lodged  ourselves  and  our  provisions,  when  the 
weather  had  moderated  somewhat.  We  then  started 
up  the  river,  five  people  with  four  paddles.  The 
Brazilian  took  his  station  in  the  stern  as  steerer,  and 
guided  the  canoe  a  mile  out  of  her  way,  going  on  the 
wrong  side  of  an  island,  that  he  might  entice  us  to  an  inn, 
where  he  expected  to  be  treated.  When  the  canoe  came 
near  the  white  house  at  the  corner  of  a  creek,  he  pointed  to 
it,  and  exclaimed  "  Bono  venda  la !"  We  were  up  to  his 
wiles,  and  refused  to  go  thither.  Excelsior !  was  onr  cry. 
On  went  the  canoe,  sweeping  up  the  river,  her  occu- 
pants standing  up  and  paddling  manfully.  In  our  desire 
for  safety  and  steadiness,  we  had  procured  rather  a 
heavy  canoe,  and  could  not  urge  her  to  such  speed  aa 
we  desired.  This,  however,  was  no  serious  fault,  a 
lighter  canoe  would  probably  have  been  overturned, 
which  would  have  led  to  the  loss  of  our  gun,  and  other 


excelsior!  185 

valuables.  At  last,  being  caught  in  a  shower,  we  made 
for  the  shore,  and  took  refuge  in  a  hut,  placing  the 
basket  of  provisions  in  an  adjoining  shed. 

Having  breakfasted  off  cold  meat,  we  proceeded  to 
prepare  an  immediate  luncheon  of  ham  and  eggs.  The 
owner  of  the  hut  was  indemnified  for  any  trouble  we 
might  cause  him  by  a  wine  glass  of  raw  rum,  which  he 
swallowed  with  a  look  of  comic  ecstasy,  jumping  and 
whistling  with  joy.  The  fire  in  the  hut  was  too  large, 
and  the  smoke  crept  into  our  eyes,  stinging  like 
myriads  of  gnats.  Under  such  circumstances,  we  could 
not  attain  to  an-y  excellence  of  cookery ;  but  there  is 
always  something  sweeter  in  what  you  have  cooked 
yourself,  than  in  the  choicest  efforts  of  a  cordon  lieu* 
Not  that  this  pleasure  would  always  last ;  but  there  is 
the  same  inspiration  in  your  first  cooking,  as  in  your 
first  poem.  We  had  finished  our  meal,  and  the  rain  was 
just  over,  when  some  more  respectable  men  came  by, 
who  were  engaged  in  building  a  house  on  the  shore. 
These  all  wore  long  knives  in  their  girdles,  and  had  per- 
haps used  them  for  less  innoxious  purposes  than  chopping 
wood.  The  trees  and  paths  were  still  glistering  with 
rain,  and  pearls  were  scattered  plentifidly  over  every 
bush.  Two  of  our  party  struck  into  a  path  for  the  pur- 
pose of  shooting,  but  soon  returned,  and  we  shoved  off 
again,   and  held  on  straight  up  the   stream.     As  we 


186  BRAZIL. 

went,  we  had  occasional  shots  at  passing  birds,  paddling 
up  some  stagnant  creek,  with  low  bushes  growing  out  of 
the  fertile  mud,  in  chase  of  a  feathered  fugitive,  or  land- 
ing on  the  rocky  shores,  and  firing  from  under  cover,  at 
the  blue  and  red  hentivees  that  dodged  us  from  branch 
to  branch. 

We  landed  soon  after  on  an  island,  and  ascended  to 
a  large  house,  which  we  found  peopled  by  negroes,  from 
whom  we  bought  some  eggs  and  bananas.  Plenty  of 
fowls  were  wandering  about ;  but  these  were  not  for  sale, 
as  no  owner  could  be  found.  The  eggs  and  bananas 
were  placed  in  our  frying-pan  with  some  ham,  and  a 
fire  having  been  lighted,  the  room  was  soon  full  of 
smoke.  On  a  sudden  the  sea  breeze  sprung  up,  and 
burst  into  the  room,  sending  the  shutters  banging 
against  each  other,  and  dashing  in  and  out  alternately. 
The  smoke,  bewildered  and  not  able  to  get  out  of  the  win- 
dow, being  met  by  the  flying  shutters  and  driven  back 
into  the  room,  took  refuge  in  our  eyes.  The  trees  bent 
and  surged  beneath  the  blast,  and  the  river  broke  furi- 
ously on  the  rocks  below  the  house.  In  the  midst  of 
this  breeze,  having  seen  to  the  safety  of  our  canoe,  we 
proceeded  quietly  with  our  dinner.  The  pilot  of  our 
boat  informed  us,  with  his  mouth  full,  that  these  negroes 
were  ^*  contrabanda,"  in  what  way  he  did  not  ex- 
plain. 


BIRDS  OF  MANY  FEATHERS.  187 

As  we  went  down  to  the  beach  to  re-embark,  a  large 
canoe  passed  under  sail,  flying  up  the  river  with  wonder- 
ful speed.  The  breeze  and  tide  being  against  us,  and 
both  very  strong,  we  could  not  steer  straight  down  the 
river,  but  made  a  tack  to  the  opposite  bank,  the  canoe 
pitching  over  the  waves  like  a  three-decker  in  the  Bay 
of  Biscay.  Reaching  the  other  side  we  found  ourselves 
among  marshes,  where  the  trees  were  covered  with 
oysters,  that  had  been  wafted  into  their  branches  by  the 
tide.  Here  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  some  swans,  but 
they  were  too  shy  to  allow  of  a  near  approach. 

We  gave  chase  to  another  canoe,  that  was  entering 
the  creek,  and,  coming  near  it,  saw  the  occupants  so 
frightened  at  our  approach  that  they  ran  their  vessel 
aground.  The  water  here  was  dark  and  muddy,  and 
the  long  branches  of  the  mangroves  joined  over  our 
heads  in  a  triumphant  arch.  We  beached  the  canoe  in 
a  small  side  creek,  and  stepped  on  shore  over  some 
planks,  that  preserved  us  from  an  abyss  of  black  mud. 
Walking  up  a  hill  we  came  to  a  factory,  whence  was  a 
good  view  of  the  town  and  the  winding  river.  Here 
some  widow  birds  were  shot,  and  a  small  bentivee,  brown 
and  unpretending  in  appearance,  but  possessing  a 
variegated  crest  of  red  and  yellow  feathers,  that  he 
could  erect  at  pleasure.  When  the  sun  shone  on  him, 
and  his  crest  glittered  and  danced  in  the  light,  you  for- 


188  BRAZIL. 

got  his  brown,  ill-favoured  body,  and  gave  him  due 
admiration.  The  widow  birds  attracted  the  attention 
of  our  sportsmen  from  a  long  distance  by  their  glossy 
black  plumage,  possessing  in  some  degree  the  same 
power  of  fascination  as  their  namesakes  in  the  human 
race. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  we  sailed  from  Espiritu  Santo. 
A  swell  was  rolling  into  the  river  as  we  went  down, 
and  the  small  islands,  on  whose  appearance  I  commented 
so  poetically  on  our  ascent,  were  now  only  visible  for  an 
instant  as  the  sea  retired  from  them,  or  were  indicated 
by  broken  water.  A  small  coaster  was  at  anchor  half- 
way down  the  river,  pitching  heavily,  while  her  deck 
was  a  scene  of  true  mercantile  confusion. 

When  outside  the  river  we  discharged  the  pilot  and 
his  bill,  and  steamed  off  to  the  south-westward. 

The  authorities  at  Espiritu  Santo  seem  to  be  un- 
favourable to  the  slave  trade.  Two  vessels  were  lying 
off  the  town  that  had  been  but  recently  seized  with 
slaves  on  board.  One  of  these  was  a  Kabenda  boat 
built  on,  whose  burden  certainly  did  not  exceed  thirty 
tons,  but  which  had  brought  one  hundred  and  eighty 
slaves  in  her  hold  from  the  coast  of  Africa ! 


OUABAPABL  189 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GFAHAPARI — WOMEN  OF  THE  COUNTRY — NEC  VOX  HOMINEM  SOX  AT 
— THE  CANE — BENEVENTE— LINE  OP  COAST — PIUMA — ITABA- 
POAMA— ITAFEMIRIM — ASSASSINATION. 

Between  Espiritu  Santo  and  Rio  Janeiro,  Guarapari 
is  the  town  of  greatest  importance.  It  is  situated  on  a 
river  that  discharges  itself  into  a  bay,  and  the  same 
name  attaches  itself  to  bay,  river,  and  town.  The 
anchorage  in  the  bay  is  unpleasant,  owing  to  the  swell 
that  is  continually  setting  in,  never  ending,  still  begin- 
ning. This  town  was,  till  lately,  famous  for  its  extensive 
patronage  of  the  slave  trade.  The  boats  of  the  Harpy 
succeeded  in  cutting  out  a  slaver  up  the  river,  in  spite 
of  a  vigorous  resistance  from  townsmen  and  the  crew 
of  the  slaver.  No  part  of  the  town  is  visible  from  the 
bay,  and  even  on  nearing  the  mouth  of  the  river,  only  a 
few  huts  appear.  Signs  of  decay  greet  you  on  all  sides. 
The  church  and  convent  stand  on  a  high  promontory  at 
the  river's  entrance,  and  are  both  much  dilapidated.  The 
convent  especially  is  overgrown  with  weeds  and  shrubs, 
which  attain  to  a  great  height  within  its  walls.     There 


U9U  .    ,  BRAZIL. 

are  no  flowers  there  now.  Beside  these  two  builcllncrs 
stands  a  very  high  palm-tree^  which,  being  the  sole  one 
upon  the  promontory,  is  conspicuous  for  a  long  distance, 
and  serves  to  indicate  the  situation  of  Guarapari  to 
vessels  bound  for  that  port. 

As  soon  as  the  bar  of  the  river,  on  which  the  depth 
of  water  is  about  three  fathoms,  is  crossed,  you  suddenly 
open  the  town,  on  the  eastern  or  seaward  side,  and  the 
harbour  with  a  shipbuilding  establishment,  where  small 
coasters  are  generall}^  in  the  process  of  construction. 
The  river,  which  is  not  more  than  300  feet  in  width, 
stretches  to  the  southward  parallel  to  the  sea-shore, 
and  the  town  is  situated  on  the  neck  of  land  between 
the  river  and  the  sea. 

On  our  first  visit  to  Guarapari,  a  long  narrow  canoe, 
manned  by  two  paddling  Brazilians,  came  climbing  over 
the  billows  towards  us.  The  canoes  in  these  regions  are 
far  narrower  and  longer  than  those  of  Ilha  Grande,  and 
their  bow  is  sharper,  the  bow  of  the  southern  canoes 
being  bluff  and  flat.  When  this  canoe  came  alongside, 
the  men  had  much  difficulty  in  keeping  her  safely  by 
the  ladder,  while  the  ship  was  in  such  motion.  Shouts 
and  yells  went  from  stern  to  bow,  and  were  again  re- 
turned with  interest  from  bow  to  stern. 

"  Pueri  nautis,  pueris  convicia  nautao 
Ingerere." 


"  NO  ADMITTANCE.**  191 

When  the  boat  was  safely  fastened,  one  man  came  up 
with  two  boxes  of  eggs,  and  some  miserable  half-starved 
fowls.  These  were  bought  readily  enough,  and,  by  the 
time  the  canoe  had  returned  to  the  shore,  the  eggs  were 
all  found  to  be  rotten  and  old,  two  qualities  almost 
synonymous.  I  cannot  blame  the  man  for  selling  us 
such  things.  He  must  have  known  that  in  England  we 
only  honour  what  is  old  and  useless. 

Later  in  the  day,  when  some  officers  landed,  they 
came  across  this  man,  who  immediately  took  to  his  heels 
in  all  the  terrors  of  a  guilty  conscience,  thinking  no 
doubt  that  a  deputation  from  the  ship  had  come  to 
demand  his  body,  that  they  might  hang  him,  hanging 
being  the  common  punishment  in  England .  for  every 
crime. 

On  our  next  visit  to  Guarapari,  we  proceeded  to 
search  out  the  lions  of  the  place  ourselves,  the  only 
cicerone  being  ttie  governor,  who  was  attending  the 
captain.  In  a  small  bye-street  we  came  to  an  open 
door,  over  which  there  was  no  board  put  up  to  warn  us 
that  "No  admittance"  was  allowed  except  on  business. 
We  peeped  in,  which  was  quite  natural  on  our  part.  K 
people  will  leave  doors  open,  what  can  they  expect? 
We  saw  nothing  but  a  few  children  playing  on  the  floor, 
anvl  a  magnificent  cotton  hammock  suspended  from  the 
roof;  tenantless.     We  departed  immediately,  but  not 


192  BRAZIL. 

without  drawing  down  upon  us  the  most  terrible  conse- 
quences. 

As  we  emerged  from  the  premises,  we  met  an  old 
woman,  who  commenced  jabbering  at  us  as  unmercifully 
as  if  she  was  endowed  with  the  nature  of  thirty  turkey- 
cocks.  Luckily  she  was  partly  human,  not  altogether 
diabolical,  and  the  little  human  nature  she  had,  appeared 
in  the  loss  of  breath  after  a  long  jabber.  But  no  sooner 
had  she  stopped  than  the  discourse  was  taken  up  by  an 
old  man,  who  seemed  fit  to  be  her  husband,  and  whom 
I  wish  no  worse  fate  than  that.  Discourse  it  could 
hardly  be  called,  where  they  had  all  the  talking,  and  we 
had  all  the  listening,  the  latter  being  the  hardest  part 
to  sustain.  The  husband  followed  on  the  same  side  as 
his  spouse,  but  soon  showed  the  natural  inferiority  of 
man  to  woman.  Before  he  had  finished  his  wife  began 
again,  heading  a  chorus  of  women  of  various  ages,  and 
voices  rising  in  cadence  from  the  full  scream  of  maturity 
to  the  cracked  yell  of  old  age.  Unconscious  of  our 
crime,  we  strolled  away,  the  chorus  coming  behind,  and 
etill  keeping  up  their  melodious  song.  At  last  a  man 
came  panting  up,  and  made  frantic  bounds  and  blows  at 
us,  swearing  and  shouting  maniacally.  Of  course,  our 
sole  resource  was  to  swear  and  shout  in  return,  which 
we  did  most  meritoriously  till  the  foe  retired. 

We  next  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  smiling  and 


A  SCHOOLMASTER.  193 

gracious  personage,  who  beckoned  us  to  come  to  his 
house.  He  was  very  cordial  towards  us,  and  spoke 
with  amiable  frankness;  yet  his  face  seemed  insincere, 
and  exactly  resembled  that  of  Simon  Renard,  in  G.  C.'s 
illustrations  of  The  Tower  of  London.  But  this  insin- 
cerity was  easily  explained  away  by  a  reference  to  his 
position.  He  was,  in  fact,  the  schoolmaster  of  the  town, 
one  of  those  worthy  gentlemen  we  are  so  constantly 
hearing  about — the  schoolmasters  abroad.  He  showed 
us  all  his  schooling  implements,  the  board  for  summing, 
and  the  ferule  for  drumming,  from  which  execrable 
implement  even  Brazil  is  not  free.  Brazilians  therefore 
may  claim  an  affinity  with  the  rest  of  the  world  by  quoting 
that  half  line  of  Juvenal,  that  ought  to  act  as  a  sign  of 
freemasonry,  and  unite  all  who  could  say  truly  of  them- 
selves in  an  indissoluble  bond, 

"  Et  nos  ergo  manom  ferula;  subduximus." 

This  schoolmaster  spoke  a  little  English  and  had  an 
English  and  Portuguese  Dictionary  and  Grammar, 
which  he  showed  us,  and  by  the  aid  of  which  he  trans- 
lated a  few  sentences.  Reading  a  Portuguese  sentence, 
signifying  "My  wife  is  here,"  he  thus  construed  it — 
"  May  wum-man  ees  he-ar." 

In  a  shop,  which  had  shutters  made  of  cane  and 
wicker-work,  to  serve  the  purpose  of  windows,  I  was 


194  BRAZIL. 

buying  some  oranges,  when  an  old  woman  came  in  for 
some  aqua  ardente,  I  suppose  she  was  about  forty  years 
of  age,  yet  her  face  was  the  most  wrinkled  and  hideous 
I  have  ever  seen.  A  woman  of  eighty  in  England  would 
be  beautiful  in  comparison  with  this  hag.  But  the 
tropical  climate,  which  develops  women  at  fourteen, 
makes  them  old  long  before  their  time. 

In  another  shop  there  was  an  ill-looking  Puritanical 
man,  resembling  a  temperance  lecturer,  or  the  immortal 
Mr.  Stiggins  in  the  Pickwick  Papers,  by  the  late 
lamented  Mr.  Boz,  who  kept  guard  over  his  pretty  wife 
while  she  attended  to  the  concerns  of  the  shop.  I 
bought  a  turkey  here,  and  other  turkeys  were  bought 
at  other  shops.  They  were  all  so  quiet  that  we  con- 
eluded,  remembering  the  adventure  of  the  morning,  that 
the  turkeys  of  Guarapari  had  made  over  their  voices  to 
the  females  of  the  said  town,  and  had  received  their 
beauty  in  exchange. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  the  other 
notabilities  of  this  coast  in  the  guide-book  style. 

BENEVENTE. 

The  bay  of  Benevente  is  wide,  shallow,  and  exposed. 
Vessels  which  draw  more  than  ten  feet  water,  cannot  come 
within  a  mile  of  the  shore,  but  may  anchor  some  distance 
off  in  four  and  a  half  fiUhoras,  bringing  the  last  point  to 


LINE  OF  COAST.  195- 

bear  E.S.E.,  and  the  most  conspicuous  Louse  in  the 
town  N.  by  E. 

The  town  is  situated  at  the  right  side  of  the  mouth 
of  a  river,  which  here  empties  itself  into  the  sea.  It 
was  mostly  a  low  situation,  with  the  exception  of  the 
church,  and  a  building  attached  ta  it,  which  apparently 
has  been  a  monastery,  though  the  lower  part  is  now 
converted  into  a  prison.  The  other  part  of  the  town 
being  almost  on  a  level  with  the  river,  the  thoroughfares, 
which  at  one  time  might  have  been  partly  paved,  are 
now  a  succession  of  stagnant  pools  of  what  at  one  time 
might  have  been  water.  A  great  number  of  the  houses 
are  in  a  sad  state  of  dilapidation,  some  being  the  remains 
of  fine  buildings,  with  blinds,  shutters,  and  carved  wood- 
work. 

Several  small  vessels  are  on  the  stocks  here,  and  many 
coasters  trade  with  the  produce  of  the  farms  up  the 
river.  Stock  is  plentiful,  and  can  easily  be  obtained; 
but,  as  it  is  brought  up  from  the  country,  a  day's  notice 
is  requisite.  The  river  is  navigable  for  canoes  upwards 
of  two  miles  above  the  town,  and  good  shooting  is  to  be 
had  on  its  banks.  At  the  last  point  of  the  bay  is  a  reef, 
called  the  "Cormorant  Patch,"  from  the  Cormorant 
steamer  having  struck  there. 

The  line  of  coast  between  Cape  St.  Thome  and 
Guarapari  is  low;  but  forty  miles  inland  is  a  range  of 


196  BRAZIL. 

mountains,  of  most  grotesque  shape  and  figure.  Be- 
tween these  hills  and  the  coast  are  large  forests  of  fine 
wood,  principallj  rosewood,  inhabited  by  Indians, 
living  in  a  state  of  barbarity.  It  is  said  that  they 
now  and  then  marry  among  the  settled  natives,  and  in 
eome  seasons  they  visit  the  farms  for  work,  being 
chiefly  repaid  by  cashaca,  a  spirituous  decoction  of 
the  country,  similar  to  aqua  ardente.  We  may,  how- 
ever, infer  that  these  savages  do  not  always  visit  the 
civilized  country  with  such  amicable  motives,  but  are 
frequently  allured  by  the  hopes  of  plunder.  The  in- 
habitants of  the  sea-coast  live  principally  on  fish,  and 
when  our  men-of-war  were  cruising  in  these  parts  for 
the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  the  people  were  in 
distress,  being  deterred  from  putting  to  sea  in  their 
canoes  by  the  proximity  of  the  steamers.  Oranges  and 
bananas,  however,  are  here  found  in  abundance,  and  on 
them  the  Brazilians  can  manage  to  subsist,  without 
other  food. 

PIUMA. 

A  small  village,  on  a  little  stream,  lies  near  to  Bene- 
vente,  and  is  remarkable  as  supplying  plenty  of  rose- 
wood, which  can  be  purchased  cheaply. 

Off  the  mouth  of  the  Piuma  river  lies  the  small  island 
of  Franceza,  from  whose  east  end  extends  a  reef  of  rocks, 
under  whose  lee  shelter  may  be  obtained  by  any  vessel 


ITABAPOAMA.  197 

desirous  of  anchoring.  Sand  may  be  got  here,  and 
men-of-war  have  discovered  that  it  is  a  favourable  place 
for  firing  at  a  target  with  their  great  guns.  Another 
good  anchorage  is  off  the  "  Three  Red  Cliffs,"  which  form 
a  conspicuous  break  in  the  dun  colour  that  stretches 
right  and  left.  At  the  foot  of  these  cliffs,  at  tlie  back  of 
the  sandy  beach,  is  a  small  wood,  amongst  whose  trees 
several  huts  are  discernible.  There  is  also  a  shoal 
with  two  and  a  half  fathoms  on  its  shallowest  part  off 
these  cliffs,  the  bearings  of  which  are  as  follows : — 

Large  White  House  on  the  top  of  Red  Cliffs,  S.W.  by 
W.  four  miles. 

Two  remarkable  hills  (represented  in  the  log  by  an 
undecided  scrawl,  and  a  blot  at  each  end)  N.W. 
byN. 

ITABAPOAMA. 

A  village  also  on  a  river,  with  a  large  house  near  the 
bar.  The  anchorage  is  in  latitude  21°  23'  south,  and 
longitude  40°  51'  30"  west.  Bearings,  large  house 
S.W.  J  S.  two  miles.  Outer  reef  S.E.  by  E.  two  miles. 
Point  of  Red  Cliffs  N.E.  by  N.  The  shoals  are  about  six 
miles  west  from  the  large  house.  Inside  this  river 
a  fore-and-aft  schooner  lay.  She  had  landed  160  slaves 
the  other  day,  and  was  at  once  seized  by  the  govern- 
ment authorities,  who  inhabit  the  large  house  by  the 
bar.     She  was  somewhat  larger  than  many  slavers,  in 


198  BRAZIL. 

proportion  to  the  number  of  slaves  she  had  brought 
over. 

ITAPEMIRBI. 

A  village  of  some  size,  situated  a  mile  or  two  up  a 
river.  It  Is  chiefly  remarkable  owing  to  the  state 
of  civilisation  within,  which  shows  that  the  simplicity 
of  a  country  retreat  cannot  always  ensure  peace 
and  good-will.  While  walking  with  the  governor 
of  the  village,  the  captain  saw  an  unfinished  house.  He 
immediately  stopped  to  survey  It  with  a  melodramatic 
start.  Dreary  and  desolate  It  looked,  as  though  Its 
every  brick  knew  the  crime  that  had  retarded  Its  pro- 
gress, which  not  all  the  wallings  and  agonized  howls  of 
its  chimney  in  a  high  wind  could  ever  hope  to  reveal. 
There  was  something  ghastly  and  awful  In  the  mere  con- 
templation of  this  Incomplete  workmanship.  Did  the 
wind  breathe  softly  ?  It  was  but  out  of  commiseration 
for  the  unhappy  builder ;  it  was  only  a  plaintive  lament 
for  his  sudden  fate.  Was  the  wind  silent?  It  yet  seemed 
to  brood  softly  over  that  spot,  and  to  cradle  Itself  to 
sleep  in  that  heap  of  mortar  that  mouldered  in  the 
corner.  Did  the  storm  rage,  and  the  lightning  flash; 
did  the  thunder  roar,  and  the  rain  volley  down  its 
largest  drops?  They  all  fell  upon  that  house  with  motives 
no  mortal  can  describe.  The  desolate  pleadings  of  the 
dumb  bricks,  the  roaring  and  whistling  of  the  chimney, 


ASSASSINATION.  19^ 

all  showed  that  something  had  been  done  there  that 
might  jar  upon  the  ear,  and  choke  the  frozen  speech. 

Why  was  this  house  unfinished  ? 

"  Oh,  yes!"  said  the  governor  coolly,  'Hhat  belongs 
to  a  man  who  was  knifed  the  other  day." 

"  Knifed !  what  was  the  reason?" 

**  I  really  don't  know;  nothing  particular  I  believe, 
though ;  some  slight  provocation,  or  other.  They  are 
dreadful  fellows  about  here;  without  exception,  the 
most  bloodthirsty  I  ever  met." 

After  such  a  specimen,  the  governor's  statement  was 
not  difficult  to  believe* 


BBAZIL* 


CHAPTER  XYII. 

BOuiRDING  EXPERIENCES — REGULAR  SLAVERS,  SIR ! — OUR  FIRST  PRIZE 
— THE  MAGANO — REASONS  FOR  HER  CAPTURE — TO  ST.  HELENA, 
AND  BACK — SECOND  PRIZE — ON  THE  LOOK  OUT  FOR  MORE — 
DUCHESS  ANNE — BARQUE  LADEN  WITH  WOOL. 

Elsewhere  I  have  described  the  real  state  of  the 
slave  trade,  as  opposed  to  the  ideal.  This  chapter  must 
be  devoted  to  our  boarding  experiences. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  Geyser  made  no  captures  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil.  We  certainly  sent  one  vessel  to 
St.  Helena,  and  detained  another  for  three  days;  but 
the  first  returned  uncondemned,  and  we  found  it  ad- 
visable to  release  the  second  after  a  short  detention. 
No  prize  money  awaited  us  on  our  return  home. 

Although,  when  we  first  began  to  cruise,  we  had 
gained  some  little  experience  as  to  the  decline  of  the 
slave  trade,  we  had  yet  a  notion  that  many  vessels 
might  be  found  of  a  suspicious  nature,  and  believed 
that  the  guilty  would  lay  themselves  open  to  discovery 
by  showing  the  white  feather  on  our  approach.  Conse- 
quently, whenever  we  saw  a  vessel  steering  in  an  irregu- 
lar manner,  and  keeping  to  no  fixed  course,  we  were 


BOARDIKG  EXPERIENCES.  201 

instantly  certain  of  her  guilt.  We  never  looked  to  the 
real  cause,  the  lack  of  wind.  We  would  have  it,  that 
the  indecision  in  the  steerage  of  the  vessel  was  caused 
by  her  captain's  indecision  as  to  the  course  she  ought 
to  steer.  We  considered  tlie  helm  an  index  of  the 
captain's  mind.  Nothing  could  well  have  been  more 
absurd  than  this  notion.  The  captains  of  slavers  are 
generally  too  clever  to  have  any  affinity  with  the 
materials  of  which  their  vessels  are  built,  though  in  the 
navy  that  is  an  everyday  occurrence. 

At  first,  we  committed  the  mistake  of  boarding  only 
the  handsome  vessels,  and  passing  the  unsightly  ones 
without  notice.  Such  a  policy  mighf  have  succeeded  a 
few  years  back,  but  in  our  time  it  was  too  antiquated. 
When  sailing  ships  were  employed  against  the  slave 
trade,  it  was  naturally  the  policy  of  shipowners  to  send 
out  their  fastest  and  handsomest  craft,  that  the  men-of- 
war  could  not  overtake.  But  when  steamers  came  into 
play,  the  owners  knew  well  that  in  point  of  speed  the 
men-of-war  had  the  best,  and  moreover,  in  a  calm,  the 
finest  clipper  would  be  overtaken  by  the  slowest  steamer. 
Calculating  on  all  this,  they  employ  their  poorest  vessels, 
which  would  not  be  liable  to  much  suspicion,  and  if 
taken  would  not  be  so  valuable  as  the  handsomer 
Bhips.     More  on  this  subject  in  another  chapter. 

While  we  went  about,  boarding  all  the  yacht-like 


202  BRAZIL. 

brigs  and  schooners  that  came  in  our  way,  the  Brazilian 
steamer  "  Maria  "  captured  under  our  very  nose  a  poor 
unpretending  vessel,  which  happened  to  contain  a  cargo 
of  slaves.  The  truth  is,  -we  acted  as  many  people  act 
in  real  life.  We  made  a  rule  to  suspect  every  body,  and 
did  suspect  every  body,  w^ith  the  slight  exception  of 
those  who  deserved  suspicion.  We  fell  with  all  our 
indignation  upon  innocent  Mr.  Burchell,  leaving  his 
nephew  to  run  off  with  our  daughter  unheeded. 

Two  vessels  there  were  that  especially  fell  under  our 
suspicion.  These  were  two  sister  ships,  the  Maiia 
Isabella,  and  the  Principe  cf Alfonso,  the  first  being  a 
brig,  the  second  a  brigantine.  They  both  sailed  well, 
and  were  beautiful  models  of  building.  The  brig  had  a 
batten  nailed  round  her  hold.  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
revert  to  her  foreign  flags,  and  a  large  brass  cooking 
tin.  The  brigantine  had  sweeps,  and  foreign  ensigns. 
Both  were  declared  to  be  suspicious,  but  not  sufficiently 
so  to  be  captured.  We  had  many  conversations  about 
them  in  many  midshipmen's  berths,  and  finally  con- 
cluded that  neither  of  the  vessels  were  as  yet  slavers, 
but  that  they  were  only  waiting  for  a  chance  to  go  over 
to  the  coast. 

"  Tolle  peiiclum 
Jam  vaga  prosiliet  franis  natura  rcmotis." 

(  Take  away  the  men-of-  ,var  from  their  cruising  grounds, 


OUR  FIRST  PRIZE.  203 

and  at  once  these  two  sister  ships  will  take  to  the  slave 
trade. 

Our  First  Prize !  There  seems  some  magic  in  these 
"words.  What  a  title  for  a  tale  I  You  might  depict  in 
glowing  colours  the  first  sight  of  the  strange  sail,  the 
headlong  chase,  the  wild  excitement,  the  intense  strain- 
ing of  all  eyes  throughout  the  night  as  you  tried  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  that  white  canvass,  the  first  gun,  the 
mast  shot  away,  and  so  on,  till  your  foot  stood  on  the 
deck  of  the  slaver,  and  you  captured  her  in  the  name  of 
Her  Britannic  Majesty.  Such  w^ould  be  a  fit  subject 
for  romance.  But  I  grieve  to  say  there  is  very  little 
opening  for  romance  on  the  Brazilian  coast.  Our  first 
capture  was  on  this  wise. 

We  came  up  one  morning  with  a  brig,  and  sent  the 
second  lieutenant  on  board  to  search  her.  During  this 
process  he  stumbled  upon  a  slave  shackle,  which  led  to 
a  more  rigid  investigation.  Finally,  the  captain  deter- 
mined to  send  her  to  St.  Helena  for  adjudication,  and 
a  prize-master  and  crew  were  selected  to  go  in  charge. 
The  vessel  that  had  thus  fallen  into  our  hands  was  the 
Brazilian  brig  "  Magano,"  from  Bio  Grande  de  San 
Pedro  to  Rio  Janeiro,  and  her  cargo  consisted  of  hides, 
tallow,  grease,  jerked  beef,  and  horse-hair. 

C ,  a  master's  assistant,  who  had  served  on  the 

poast,  and  had  been  sent  from  thence  to  St.  Helena  and 


204  BRAZIL. 

Sierra  Leone  on  the  same  errand  as  tlie  present,  was 
selected  to  act  as  prize-master.  The  philanthropy  of 
his  messmates  knew  no  bounds.  Every  one  was  ready 
to  lend  him  every  thing.  Pistols,  watches,  and  sextants 
were  pressed  upon  him  from  all  quarters,  and  of  course 
he  did  not  outrage  the  feelings  of  his  messmates  by 
declining.  A  large  bunch  of  bananas,  that  had  lately 
adorned  our  dingui,  was  now  transferred  to  the  Magano's 
quarter. 

The  crew  of  the  Magano,  with  the  exception  of  the 
captain,  mate,  and  cook,  were  now  shifted  to  the  Geyser, 
I  took  the  opportunity  of  going  on  board  the  prize,  in 
the  cutter  that  was  continually  passing  and  repassing. 
She  was  a  trim  vessel  with  a  sharp  bow,  promising  to  be 
a  quick  sailer.  Her  after  cabin  was  so  full  of  goods, 
that  bunks  for  the  officers  were  erected  on  each  side  of 
the  quarter-deck.  Her  long-boat,  that  was  stowed  on 
the  booms,  was  full  of  onions,  to  which  some  of  our  men 
helped  themselves.  It  has  always  been  considered  fair 
for  the  captors  of  any  vessel  to  help  themselves  to  some 
of  their  cargo.  On  the  coast  of  Africa,  when  an  empty 
slaver  is  seized,  the  bags  of  beans  she  had  on  board, 
serve  to  make  soup  for  the  various  messes  of  the  man- 
of-war.  Sometimes  even  more  valuable  commodities 
have  been  seized.  As  a  general  rule,  I  believe,  captains 
object  to  things  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  midshipmen. 


THE  MAGANO.  205 

and  remove  temptation  out  of  their  youngsters'  reach 
by  the  simplest  possible  method.  The  captain  and 
mate  of  the  Magano  were  reclining  on  the  cover  of 
the  after-hatchway,  with  the  remains  of  a  dark-green 
melon  beside  them.  The  captain  addressed  some 
grumblings  to  me,  as  was  only  natural  for  a  man  in  his 
position. 

Meanwhile,  on  board  the  Geyser,  the  master  was 
measuring  the  log-line  and  glass  of  the  Magano;  and,  as 
an  old  man,  was  giving  excellent  advice  about  steering 

and  pilotage,  which  C ,  as  a  young  man,  was  not 

likely  to  follow. 

Soon  all  was  finished,  and  the  Magano,  with   Captain 

C giving  orders,  made  all  sail,  and  careered  onward 

proudly,  with  the  English  ensign  floating  above  the 
Brazilian.  This  demonstration  was  received  with  appro- 
bation by  the  middies,  but  not  by  the  captain,  who 
called  it  an  insult  to  a  defenceless  people.  Of  course  it 
w^as ;  who  would  ever  be  fool  enough  to  offer  an  insult 
to  any  that  could  resent  it  ?  I  do  not  think  that  the 
Brazilian  captain  of  the  Magano  would  have  been  much 
insulted  by  this  sign  of  victory.  He  took  the  capture 
of  his  vessel  coolly,  and  looked  probably  on  the  hoisting 
of  the  two  ensigns  as  a  mere  boyish  show-off. 

After  an  absence  of  nearly  five  months,  the  prize 
crew  returned  in  the  English  brigantine  "  Sanspareil," 


20S  BRAZIL, 

and  we  heard  that  the  Magano  was  not  con- 
demned. 

Not  having  a  chronometer,  their  passage  to  St. 
Helena  occupied  fifty  days,  twenty  more  than  the  aver- 
age time  of  passages ;  and  for  much  of  that  time  the 
crew  had  to  subsist  on  farina,  a  dry  unsatisfying  food, 
all  their  government  supplies  being  exhausted.  At  St. 
Helena,  the  Magano  was  strenuously  defended.  The 
black  cook  ran  away,  and,  when  brought  back,  confessed 
that  the  Magano's  original  object  was  to  go  into  Eio 
Janeiro,  sell  her  cargo,  procure  a  chronometer,  and  get 
other  things  necessary  for  the  coast,  which  was  her  final 
destination.  But  evil  purposes  were  not  considered 
equivalent  to  evil  actions  by  the  court;  and,  as  the  judge 
had  recently  condemned  a  vessel  on  equally  trivial 
grounds,  he  thought  it  only  fair  that  the  owners  should 
have  the  verdict  this  time,  and  acquitted  the  Magano 
accordingly.  But,  as  the  owners  were  not  entirely  free 
from  guilt,  he  ordered  them  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
voyage  to  St.  Helena,  the  living  there,  and  their 
return. 

Now  for  our  second  prize.  She  was  the  Brazilian 
fore-and-aft  schooner  Improvise  from  St.  Catherine's  to 
Rio,  laden  with  farina.  One  of  her  men  told  the  captain, 
that  underneath  all  this  a  slave-deck  lay  concealed,  and 
fihe  was  detained  till  the  truth  of  this  rumour  should  be 


SECOND  PRIZE.  207: 

ascertained.  We  scarcely  expected  so  small  a  vessel  to 
go  over  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  thought  she  was 
waiting  to  provision  and  equip  some  one  that  was  larger 
and  more  seaworthy.  In  order  to  get  hold  of  this  other 
also,  we  removed  the  Improviso's  crew,  and  sent  our  first 
lieutenant  and  gunner  with  eight  seamen  to  take  their 
places.  We  armed  her  with  a  six-pounder  howitzer 
and  some  muskets.  To  make  themselves  unlike  men- 
of-war's  men,  which  merely  required  the  slightest  change 
of  dress,  as,  but  for  that,  nobody  would  have  mistaken 
them  for  seamen,  the  men  who  accompanied  the  first 
lieutenant  dressed  themselves  in  the  most  outlandish 
garb,  with  garments  looking  more  like  theatrical  pro- 
perties than  real  dress.  One  suffered  martyrdom  in  a 
tight  jacket  with  coloured  sleeves.  In  fact,  they  seemed 
equipped  for  an  amateur  pantomime. 

One  of  the  men  whom  w^e  had  taken  from  the 
Improviso  spoke  a  little  English,  and  I  went  through  a 
course  of  study  with  him.  I  pointed  to  some  part  of 
the  ship,  and  gave  its  English  name,  he  responded  with 
its  Portuguese  title.  We  boxed  the  compass  alternately 
in  English  and  Portuguese.  It  is  strange  how  many 
words  you  can  pick  up  in  this  manner.  During  the 
three  days  that  the  Improviso  was  detained,  I  had  sundry 
conversations  with  this  seaman ;  but  the  day  came  on 
wliich  we  had  to  restore  her  men,  and  dismiss  her, 


208 


BRAZIL. 


having  found  no  slave-deck,  or  any  thing  to  justify  her 
further  detention.  I  am  sorry  to  say  the  words  I  had 
learnt  from  the  Brazilian  did  not  remain  with  me  much 
longer. 

One  of  our  objects,  while  cruising  to  the  southward  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  was  to  look  out  for  a  barque  named  the 
Tentativa.  One  day  we  fell  in  with  a  barque  steering 
towards  the  shore  with  two  Brazilian  brigan tines  of  war 
in  chase ;  of  course  we  took  this  vessel  to  be  the  Tenta- 
tiva, and  were  greatly  disappointed,  on  boarding  her,  to 
find  that  she  was  the  French  barque  '^Duchess. Anne," 
from  Peru  to  Falmouth  with  copper.  The  captain  was 
ill,  and  the  ship  leaky.  We  offered  medicine  and 
assistance,  the  first  gratuitous,  the  latter  to  be  paid  for, 
as  coming  under  the  head  of  salvage.  As  might  be 
expected,  the  first  was,  in  editorial  language,  so  fatal  to 
young  and  unknown  contributors,  '*  thankfully  accepted," 
the  second  was  "  respectfully  declined." 

As  we  were  nearing  the  harbour  of  Kio  Janeiro  one 
morning,  we  met  a  remarkably  fine  vessel  coming  out, 
pitching  slowly  over  the  swells.  On  our  approach  she 
hove  to,  and  we  sent  a  boat  to  search  her,  with  the 
second  lieutenant  and  gunner.  Meanwhile  we  midship- 
men gazed  at  her  attentively.  She  was  a  Portuguese 
brig,  and  had  evidently  been  bought  from  the  navy  into 
the  merchant  service.     She  was  well  built,  and  more 


ON  THE  LOOK  OUT.  '209 

solid  and  substantial  than  the  average  run  of  traders  to 
the  Brazils,  always  excepting  the  English  and  other 
north  country  ships.  We  did  not  fail  to  notice  the 
absence  of  any  main  boom,  and  remarked  that  she  had 
dead-eyes  and  mizen-chains  ready  fitted;  so  that,  if 
desirable,  she  could  easily  transform  herself  into  a 
barque.  She  had  also  a  look-out  man  in  each  top,  which 
was  quite  superfluous. 

Our  boat  soon  returned,  and  the  gunner  reported 
that  she  had  two  large  tanks  of  water  in  her  hold,  each 
containing  eight  or  ten  tons  of  water;  four  leaguers 
(large  casks)  also  for  water ;  a  great  quantity  of  plank, 
partly  fitted  for  a  slave-deck ;  much  firewood ;  several 
casks  and  cases  that  might  contain  cooking  utensils  ; 
while  the  captain's  cabin  was  very  coarsely  fiunished, 
and  could  the  more  easily  be  converted  into  a  female 
slave-room. 

If  such  were  facts,  the  vessel  must  have  been  a  slaver, 
and  the  gunner,  who  had  some  knowledge  of  the  slave 
trade,  and  had  served  much  of  his  time  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  stated  that,  if  ever  he  had  seen  a  slaver,  this 
vessel  was  one.  It  was  urged  on  the  contrary,  in  her 
defence,  by  the  second  lieutenant,  that  she  was  the 
Portuguese  brig  "  Xaelam,"  bound  from  Eio  to  Bombay ; 
that  her  papers  were  quite  regular ;  that  she  had  thirty- 
six  Lascars  on  board,  and  a  mule  in  the  hold,  which 


210  BRAZIL. 

would  require  a  great  quantity  of  water  on  the  voyage. 
Probably  the  mule  had  been  taken  as  a  blind,  and  it 
could  be  pitched  overboard  when  they  had  got  some 
way  across.  *^  Besides,"  added  the  lieutenant,  "  she's 
too  good  for  a  slaver ! "  Acting  on  this  suggestion,  the 
captain  allowed  the  vessel  to  proceed  on  her  way, 
to ? 

One  evening,  near  the  island  of  St.  Sebastian,  we  fell 
in  with  a  barque,  that  was  careering  about  the  ocean  in 
a  most  eccentric  manner,  now  going  before  the  v;ind, 
and  now  close  hauled.  This  of  course  excited  our 
suspicions,  and  we  steered  towards  her,  on  which  she 
bore  up  and  came  down  to  us,  the  wind  bearing  us  a 
faint  hail  of  "  Steamer !  ahoy  ! " 

"What  barque  is  that?"  answered  our  captain. 

^'  The  William  and  Mary,  English  barque,  bound  fron^ 
Sydney  to  Rio." 

"What's  your  cargo?'* 

"Wool!" 

The  last  answer  produced  an  immense  effect  on  board 
the  Geyser^  and  it  was  confidently  asserted  that  the  wool 
was  confined  to  the  heads  of  certain  ill-used  personages 
in  her  hold.  This  was  only  a  myth,  however,  the 
stranger  being  actually  the  William  and  Mary  looking 
for  Rio,  whose  situation  they  did  not  know. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  these  were  the 


DAILY  DUTIES.  fill 

only  vessels  we  boarded.  Far  from  it.  Almost  daily, 
there  was  some  ship  in  sight  that  we  had  to  steam  along- 
side, scrutinize  carefully,  hail,  and  sometimes  board  if 
the  intelligence  we  got  by  hailing  was  not  enough  to 
satisfy  us.  A  mere  list  of  these  "  ships  we  boarded  " 
would  be  any  thing  but  interesting.  It  would  be  as  dull 
to  us  who  live  at  home  in  ease  as  a  list  of  the  scholars 
of  Mr.  Thwackem's  school  at  Caneton  would  be  to  a 
New  Zealander.  It  would  be  like  the  letters  of  a  cer- 
tain midshipman,  who,  being  asked  to  give  a  description 
of  the  places  he  had  seen,  used  to  regale  his  fond  parents 
with  their  mere  names,  and,  in  some  extraordinary  cases, 
their  latitude  and  longitude.  In  this  case,  the  filial  im- 
perfections were  easily  passed  over  by  parental  fondness, 
which  no  writer  can  look  for  from  the  public.  No,  I 
must  let  these  vessels  sleep  in  the  oblivion  they  deserved 
for  not  being  guilty.  Had  they  been  slavers,  they 
might  have  hoped  for  the  vates  sacer:  as  it  was,  they 
were  merely  innocent,  and  what  interest  is  there  in 
innocence  ? 


212  BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

SMUGGLERS  AND  CUTTERS — SLAVE  TRADE  LAWS — LIEUTENANT  SCALY 

HONESTY  NOT   ALWAYS   THE    BEST    POLICY — SUFFERING     FROM 

TOO  MUCH  HEALTH — MIDSHIPMAN'S  LOGIC — POOR  DOCTOR  I 

The  poet,  who  asked  for 

"  The  bold,  th'  erect,  and  generous  foe, 
(Bold  I  might  meet,  perhaps  might  turn,  his  blow,)" 

preferring  him  to  a  professed  friend  with  insidious  arts, 
would  find  himself  better  suited,  if  desirous  of  suppress- 
ing the  slave  trade,  on  the  coast  of  Africa  than  in  the 
Brazils.  The  Brazilian  trade  is  like  the  fox  in  the  fable, 
with  a  thousand  wiles;  the  African  trade,  resembling 
the  cat  in  the  same  fable,  has  only  one  plan  to  follow, 
and  follows  it  with  a  certain  straightforwardness  that 
never  crosses  the  Atlantic.  Prince  Henry  differs  not 
more  materially  from  Hal  of  Eastcheap,  the  boon  com- 
panion of  Falstaff,  than  does  a  slave-ship  on  the  coast 
of  Africa  from  its  double  in  Brazilian  waters.  When  a 
man-of-war  heaves  in  sight,  the  African  runs  from  it  im- 
mediately :  the  Brazilian  steers  towards  it  to  lull  sus- 


sla-vetTRADe  laws.  213 

picion.  There  is  so  much  greater  variety  of  traffic  on 
the  Brazilian  coast,  that  many  a  slaver,  too  cunning  to 
attempt  flight,  is  passed  by  as  a  simple  trader ;  while  on 
the  African,  where  the  chief  trade  is  in  slaves,  suspi- 
cion attaches  to  all  vessels. 

Possibly  the  prevalence  of  fraud  and  cunning  among 
the  slave-traders,  led  to  the  introduction  of  those  quali- 
ties into  that  portion  of  the  navy  whose  duty  it  is  to 
stop  slave  vessels  on  the  high  seas,  and  to  lighten  them 
of  their  human  cargo.  Sharp  practices,  which  were 
originated  by  those  who  break  the  law,  exist  also  among 
those  who  enforce  it.  Several  cases,  in  which  the 
grossest  injustice  was  practised  by  men-of-war  towards 
Brazilian  vessels,  have  occurred  within  my  knowledge. 
The  laws  against  the  slave  trade  are  so  stringent,  that 
injustice  can  be  easily  used ;  and  it  can  be  even  more 
easily  justified  by  the  simple  plea,  that  you  are  taking  a 
leaf  out  of  your  opponent's  book. 

In  fact,  the  most  inoffensive  merchantman  is  liable 
to  detention  and  seizure.  One  clause  in  the  law  against 
slavers,  provides  that  any  quantity  of  spare  plank,  that 
could  be  employed  for  the  construction  of  a  slave-deck, 
fihall  be  deemed  sufficient  to  prove  the  dishonesty  of  the 
bearer.  Other  clauses  are  directed  against  the  convey- 
ance of  any  unnecessary  quantity  of  beans,  farina,  or 
other  articles   of  nes^roes'  food.    More  water  than  is 


214  BRAZIL. 

requisite  for  tlie  crew  during  the  voyage,  chains,  or 
shackles,  much  rope  or  firewood,  large  cooking-tins, 
charts  of  the  coast  of  Africa,  or  flags  of  foreign  nations, 
are  all  links  in  the  chain  of  evidence  required.  Tho 
slightest  circumstances  of  suspicion  are  often  considered 
equivalent  to  a  proof  of  guilt;  and,  when  the  captain's 
conscience  is  left  to  decide  as  to  what  shall  be  called 
suspicious,  the  result  is,  to  use  the  words  of  Talleyrand, 
a  latitude  ^norme.  A  captain's  conscience  is  not  always 
tender,  and  sometimes  ignorance  effects  what  unscrupu- 
lousness  would  shrink  from.  I  have  an  example  ready 
at  hand  to  substantiate  this  rule. 

A  certain  lieutenant,  whom  we  will  call  by  the  name 
of  Scaly,  was  in  command  of  a  certain  steam  sloop, 
which  shall  go  by  the  name  of  the  Skirmisher,  on  the 
coast  of  Brazil.  This  vessel  was  the  dirtiest  and  luckiest 
in  the  whole  squadron,  and  her  commander  was  the  most 
unscrupulous.  One  day  the  Skirmisher  boarded  a  small 
trading  vessel,  that  happened  to  bear  some  planks  in 
her  hold  to  stow  coffee  upon.  Her  skipper,  on  being  in- 
terrogated as  to  the  raison  dtetre  of  this  wood,  replied 
*'  Madeira — cafe,"  Madeira  being  the  Portuguese  name 
for  wood. 

But  Lieutenant  Scaly  did  not  recognise  the  stuff,  that 
served  materially  to  compose  his  head,  under  that  name. 
He  had  only  heard  of  one  Madeira,  and  could  thereforo 


LIEUTENANT  SCALY.  2 1 5 

only  conclude  that  the  trader  was  going  to  the  island  of 
Madeira  for  coffee.  This  of  course  was  improbable, 
Brazil  not  being  supplied  with  coffee  by  that  island. 
Not  being  able  to  solve  the  difficulty  himself,  he  sent 
her  to  St.  Helena,  where  the  readiest  solution  arrived 
at  was  the  vessel's  condemnation. 

This  was  mere  ignorance :  unscrupulousness  can  do 
as  much,  if  not  more.  Some  people  have  been  known 
to  take  a  chart  of  the  coast  of  Africa  with  them  in  their 
pockets  when  they  boarded  a  vessel,  to  drop  it  in  some 
cabin,  and  send  the  vessel  to  St.  Helena  for  adjudication 
on  such  grounds.  Is  there  a  name  in  the  dictionary  to 
express  such  an  action?  I  doubt  if  there  is  one  in 
Falconer's  Dictionary  of  Naval  Terms. 

Many  vessels  that  had  been  built  for  the  slave  trade 
during  its  prosperity,  were,  on  its  sudden  downfall,  con- 
verted into  honest  traders  for  the  time.  Any  man  who 
had  the  least  experience  in  the  trade,  could  see  what 
had  been  their  original  destination ;  and  naval  officers, 
burning  for  prize-money,  looked  upon  such  craft  as 
flagrant  impostures.  Even  now,  they  were  at  any  time 
ready  to  sail  for  the  coast  of  Africa,  if  any  relaxation  of 
the  government  regulations  made  it  worth  their  while. 
As  fast  sailers,  and  exquisite  models  of  art,  these  vessels 
fell  always  under  suspicion,  and  were  regularly  searched 
by  every  man-of-war  in  turn.     Slave-owners,  aware  of 


216  BRAZIL. 

this,  never  employ  handsome  ships  for  nefarious 
purposes,  but  instead,  the  meanest  and  most  unattrac- 
tive they  can  lay  hands  upon.  Thus  they  cheat  their 
enemies  into  searching  only  honest  ships,  and  passing 
the  guilty  unscrutinized.  In  return  for  this,  men-of-war 
sometimes  take  the  innocent,  which,  by  a  stretch  of  the 
law,  can  be  included  among  the  wicked,  especially  as 
they  do  not  ''  sin  in  their  own  defence,  and  part  with 
their  virtue  to  preserve  their  reputation."  Whether  these 
vessels  are  to  be  called  slavers  is  a  debateable  point. 
They  have  a  batten  often  nailed  round  their  hold,  to 
show  where  the  slave-deck  should  be  placed :  but  this 
is  only  a  dishonest  intention,  and,  as  men-of-war  some- 
times discover  to  their  cost,  does  not  constitute  a  proof 
of  real  guilt.  The  farina  that  they  are  conveying  from 
one  port  to  another  as  a  pure  matter  of  business,  is  often 
turned  into  an  accusation  against  them.  If  they  have 
loose  beans  on  board,  they  are  oftentimes  routed  out 
and  left  in  confusion.  Perhaps  the  life  of  an  honest 
tradesman  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  is  more  disagreeable 
than  that  of  a  notorious  slave-dealer.  If  you  are  to  be 
always  suspected,  it  is  at  least  pleasant  to  know  either 
that  you  can  always  get  clear  off,  or  that  you  deserve 
suspicion. 

The  mere  process  of  searching  a  vessel  must  be  ex- 
ceedingly   annoying.     Place   yourself,   reader,   in   the 


PROCESS  OP  SEARCHING.  217 

position  of  the  captain  of  the  F4licidade,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  brigs  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  running  between 
Kio  (le  Janeiro  and  some  port  fifty  miles  distant,  that 
supplies  the  capital  with  fruit  and  vegetables.  As  the 
bearer  of  such  a  cargo,  you  cannot  make  too  quick  a 
passage,  and  are  indignant  at  every  calm  or  foul  wind. 
On  a  calm  noonday  you  are  taking  your  siesta,  when  a 
steamer  heaves  in  sight,  and  comes  towards  you,  followed 
by  a  cloud  of  smoke,  making  the  quiet  waters  leap  in 
convulsions  of  agony  beneath  her  paddles.  As  she  ap- 
proaches, one  of  your  men  walks  aft,  and  hoists  the 
Brazilian  ensign.  This  piece  of  civility  was  performed 
too  late.  The  steamer  has  had  the  English  flag  flying 
long  before  she  saw  you,  and  considers  that  you  have 
incurred  suspicion  by  not  making  a  like  display.  The 
captain,  already  prejudiced  against  you,  comes  on  board 
with  two  boatfuls  of  men.  You  come  forward,  yawning, 
to  produce  your  papers,  in  great  indignation  at  the  dis- 
turbance of  your  afternoon  slumber.  Your  credentials 
are  not  satisfactory  enough ;  and,  while  the  captain  is 
looking  at  them  in  an  undecided  manner,  glancing  off  to 
your  face  as  if  he  expected  to  find  there  signs  of  guilt, 
one  of  his  men  pulls  some  foreign  flags  out  of  a  locker, 
and  unfolds  them  to  public  gaze.  The  sight  of  these 
decides  the  captain,  who  issues  orders  for  a  rigorous 
eearch.     Wild  with  joy  the  seamen  rush  below,  tumble 


218  BRAZIL. 

your  cargo  into  most  admired  confusion,  fling  bags  of 
farina  and  white  calavances  here  and  there,  not  ceasing 
till  they  have  discovered  the  batten  that  your  owner 
would  nail  round  the  hold,  quite  against  your  advice. 
Presently  another  seaman  stumbles  on  a  brass  cooking 
utensil,  and  bears  it  triumphantly  on  deck,  holding  it 
over  the  bulwarks,  that  even  the  men  on  board  the 
steamer  may  feast  their  eyes  with  the  sight,  and  consider 
the  Felicidade  as  good  as  condemned.  Other  suspicious 
circumstances  are  found  by  the  hundred.  So  many 
slavers  have  counterfeited  honesty  before  this,  and  with 
such  success,  that  the  genuine  honesty  is  eclipsed  by 
the  counterfeit.  However,  the  captain  is  conscientious, 
and  lets  you  go,  to  the  deep  sorrow  of  every  officer  and 
man  in  his  ship. 

"  What  business  had  he  to  let  her  go  ? "  they  ask. 

"  Because  she  was  honest." 

"  But  what  business  had  she  to  be  honest?" 

A  midshipman  of  the  man-of-war  writes  in  his  diary : 
' — "Boarded  the  Felicidade,  and,  though  there  were 
several  illegal  circumstances  as  regarding  her  cargo,  she 
was  not  detained.  During  our  search  of  her  a  breeze 
sprang  up,  and  the  captain,  who  was  on  board  her  at  the 
time,  said  that  she  seemed  to  glide  rather  than  move 
over  the  waters,  resembling  a  fairy  more  than  a  human 
vessel.    She  was  certainly  a  slaver;  and  how  the  captaiij 


midshipman's  logic.  219 

could  excuse  himself  for  letting  her  go,  when  his  dutv 
to  his  country  and  the  cause  of  humanity  should  have 
impelled  him  to  detain  her,  is  best  known  to  his  con- 
science— if  he  has  one ! " 

The  same  sentiments,  and  the  same  telling  sneer,  are 
repeated  in  the  middy's  next  letter  home,  in  which  he 
entertains  his  parents  with  the  news  that  the  Siijkman^ 
12,  is  ordered  to  cruise  between  Espiritu  Santo  and 
Cape  St.  Thome,  and  that  the  Guillemot^  6,  has  lost  its 
foretopmast. 

The  same  sentiments,  minus  the  telling  sneer,  however, 
and  miniLs  all  allusions  to  conscience,  are  repeated  to 
Lieutenant  Scaly,  when  the  said  midshipman  meets  him 
in  Rio.  Lieutenant  Scaly  will  learn  all  about  your  exist- 
ence, and  the  strong  proofs  of  your  guilt.  He  will  be 
on  the  watch  for  you  when  he  cruises  again,  and  will 
probably  capture  you,  adding  one  more  recruit  to  the 
noble  army  of  martyrs. 

The  real  facts  of  the  case  are  simple  enough.  The 
presence  of  our  squadron  prevents  the  slave  trade  in  a 
great  measure,  as  the  owners  of  vessels  are  not  particu- 
larly anxious  to  lose  them,  and  do  not  send  them  out 
when  there  is  a  moral  certainty  of  their  being  taken  if 
they  attempt  any  thing  dishonest.  But  the  Navy  prefers 
cure  to  prevention,  because  it  gets  its  fee  for  the  one, 
and  not  for  the  other.     Can  you  expect  a  doctor  to  cure 


220  BEAZIL. 

you  as  speedily  as  possible,  seeing  that  for  each  day  you 
are  ill  he  receives  a  fee,  while  health  on  your  part  pre- 
cludes the  possibility  of  further  attendance  on  his  ? 

The  slave  trade  is  in  the  position  of  Tom  Jones,  when 
he  called  Partridge  to  examine  his  wound.  It  is  pro- 
gressing so  favourably,  that  the  poor  doctor's  occupation's 


SLAVERY.  221 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

fjLAVERT — THE  "  BLACK  FEVER  " — "  LADIES  " — MORALS  AND  EDUCA- 
TION    OF     NEGROES — WHAT     THE     BRAZILIANS    THINK     OF    US 

BRAZILIAN     JOURNALISM OUR     AMBASSADORS — POWER    OF    THE 

CHURCH  IN  BRAZIL — FINIS. 

I  NEED  not  detain  the  reader  long  with  any  remarks 
upon  slavery.  It  is  not  necessary  for  every  traveller  to 
end  his  volume  with  a  careful  essay  upon  this  subject^ 
balancing  the  pros  and  cons  with  logical  exactness,  but 
unfortunately  leaving  out  all  the  logic.  Enough  has 
been  said  and  written  on  slavery,  to  liberate  all  the 
slaves  in  the  world — if  slaves  could  be  liberated  by  mere 
writing  and  speaking.  Philanthropy  is  sometimes  a 
cheap  virtue;  and  when  Mrs.  Stowe's  Uncle  Tom  had 
directed  attention  to  slavery,  people  philanthropic 
enough  to  write  in  her  wake  found  virtue  rewarded  by 
a  publisher's  cheque. 

If  the  "  black  fever  "  still  existed,  I  should  probably 
have  been  led  to  sacrifice  to  it  in  these  pages.  As  it 
has  died  out,  it  is  useless  for  me  to  go  out  of  my  way, 


in 


BRAZIL. 


and  describe  the  sufferings  of  an  ill-used  class  tliat  I 
may  gain  the  reward  of  virtue.  Because  I  feel  strongly 
against  the  slave  trade,  there  is  no  occasion  for  me  to 
"  thpeak  thtrongly,"  after  the  pattern  of  a  certain 
schoolmaster.  Why  should  I  harrow  up  the  feelings  of 
the  public,  knowing  that  I  cannot  at  all  alleviate  the 
misery  I  describe  ? 

Nor  need  I  enter  the  lists  against  the  American 
"  ladies,"  who  kept  up  th^ir  reputation,  and  won  their 
husband's  hearts,  by  their  able  defence  of  slavery.  I 
wish  these  amiable  creatures  no  worse  fate  than  drunken 
husbands,  who  may  indulge  in  that  elegant  amusement 
known  in  England  by  the  name  of  wife-beating.  We 
must  expect  to  meet  with  slavery  in  a  land  of  freedom 
governed  by  a  democracy,  which  means  despotism  of 
the  many  over  the  few. 

I  doubt  if  the  most  crusty  Toryism  could  object  to 
the  instruction  of  the  people  after  an  inspection  of  the 
state  of  uneducated  negroes.  They  seem  not  to  be  men, 
simply  creatures — 

"  Narrow  foreheads,  vacant  of  our  glorious  gains, 
Like  to  beasts  with  lower  pleasures,  like  to  beasts  with 
lower  pains." 

Morals  are  unknown  among  them.  I  have  seen  a 
little  girl,  aged  perhaps  two  years,  not  able  to  speak 


MOILVLS  AND  EDUCATION  OF  NEGROES.  223 

plain,  throw  herself  into  the  most  disgusting  postures, 
with  immense  relish  and  an  utter  disregard  for 
decency.  The  huts  of  the  negroes  are  of  the  most 
loathsome  kind;  insects  creep  over  their  persons  and 
their  food  unmolested.  Chastity  does  not  seem  to 
exist  among  their  females ;  and  even  their  lawless 
amours  are  carried  on  as  publicly  as  a  hypocrite's 
virtues.  We  cannot  wonder  if  their  characters  are  as 
black  as  their  skins.  Such  are  the  legitimate  conse- 
quences  of  slavery  and  ignorance.  Set  them  free, 
educate  them,  liberate  them  from  the  fetters  of  the 
slavery  of  the  body  and  that  of  the  mind,  and  you  will 
see  how  superior  they  are  in  all  attainments  to  their 
Brazilian  masters.  Tie  an  oak  to  the  ground  in  its  infancy, 
and  where  would  be  the  tree  that  spreads  over  half  a  field, 
and  gives  shelter  to  a  flock  beneath  its  branches  ? 

What  the  Brazilians  think  of  us  is  of  no  great  imporr 
tance  to  our  nation.  The  ox  can  afford  to  despise  the 
spiteful  comments  of  the  frog.  However,  they  do  think 
us  a  nation  of  pirates,  and  believe  that  any  insult  offered 
to  an  Englishman  can  be  washed  out  by  a  glass  of  ale. 
A  man-of-war  brigantine,  named  the  Bonnetta,  was  oncQ 
cruising,  and  gave  chase  to  a  schooner,  firing  a  gun  to 
bring  her  to.  The  schooner  then  hoisted  a  Brazilian 
'^nsign  and  pendant,  thus  showing  herself  to  be  a  manr 


£24  BRAZIL. 

of-war.  On  this  the  Bonnetla  hauled  her  wind.  Im- 
mediately the  Brazilian  rounded  to,  and  fired  two  shots 
at  the  Bonnetta,  bearing  up  again  immediately,  and 
going  off  under  all  sail.  The  Bonnetta,  on  this,  went 
after  her,  to  make  her  answer  for  her  conduct,  and 
brought  her  to,  after  pitching  about  ten  shot  and  shell 
around  her  masts.  Two  officers  were  sent  on  board  for 
an  explanation  and  apology.  The  Brazilian  captain 
expressed  his  regret,  and  oflPered  a  glass  of  ale  as  a  com- 
pensation ! 

Brazilian  journalism  is  somewhat  on  a  par  with  the 
journalism  of  America.  When  any  person  makes  him- 
self offensive  to  the  editor  of  any  newspaper,  stray  facts 
or  fictions  about  his  father  are  raked  up,  reminding  one 
of  the  American  editor  mentioned  in  that  clever  book 
^*  Across  the  Atlantic,"  who,  when  cutting  up  the  book 
of  a  traveller,  invariably  discovered,  either  that  the 
offender's  father  had  been  hanged  for  forgery,  or  that 
his  mother  had  been  transported  for  sheep-stealing. 
When  our  ambassador  went  to  a  ball,  a  correspondent 
wrote    to    the    Brazilian    paper    saying: — '^We    next 

saw  Mr.  H looking  quite  bewildered,  and  staring 

at  the  lights,  as  if  every  lamp  was  one  of  the  slavers 
he  had  consigned  to  the  flames.  We  had  a  good  mind 
to  set  on  the  miscreant,  and  give  him  a  good  thrashing? 


POWER  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  BRAZIL.  H^'S 

Our  ambassadors  at  Rio  have  frequently  been  onno 
very  good  terms  with  the  emperor.  One  ambassador, 
who  had  a  pleasant  country-house  that  the  emperor  was 
desirous  of  inhabiting  for  a  time,  was  ordered  to  evacuate 
it  for  imperial  accommodation.  This  rather  unreason- 
able request  was  not  proffered  with  any  courtesy,  but 
rather  with  all  the  peremptory  nature  of  a  despotic 
summons. 

Of  the  power  of  the  church  in  Brazil  I  have  no 
personal  knowledge.  I  have  been  told  that  in  the 
towns  its  authority  is  great,  and  I  have  seen  that  in  the 
villages  it  does  not  possess  any  great  sway.  I  would 
refer  the  reader  who  is  desirous  of  knowing  any  thing  on 
this  subject  to  a  very  able  essay  by  Cardinal  Wiseman, 
reprinted  from  the  Duhlin  Review  among  his  collected 
essays.  In  spite  of  the  usual  affectations  of  a  Roman 
Catholic  writer,  the  continual  boastings  of  the  power  of 
Rome,  and  the  important  mistake  the  writer  has  hero 
and  there  fallen  into,  in  using  the  English  word  "  free- 
dom "  where  the  word  "  slavery  "  should  properly  have 
stood — a  natural  mistake  for  a  man  who  was  born  a 
Spaniard,  was  educated  near  Durham,  and  finished  his 
studies  at  Rome — this  essay  will  be  found  very  instruc- 
tive, and  may  give  a  fair  notion  of  the  state  of  religion 
in  Brazil. 


S26  BRAZIL. 

And  so  farewell  to 

"  The  land  where  the  orange  hangs  tempting  ahove, 
And  fills  with  its  perfume  the  whole  of  the  grove : 
Where  the  yellow  banana  droops  down  from  its  stem, 
Through  the  thick  shading  leaves  peeping  forth  like  a  gem ; 
Where  the  humming-birds  flit  through  the  glad  forest  scene, 
Their  crests  flashing  gaily  with  scarlet  and  green ; 
Where  the  choicest  of  flowers  spring  forth  from  earth's  breast — 
'Tis  the  clime  of  delight,  'tis  the  land  of  the  West !  " 


APPENDIX. 


Official  Papers  extracted /rom  Parliamentary  Blue  Book*. 


THE"MAGANO." 

H.  M.  JUDGE  TO  VISCOUNT  PALME RSTON. 

St.  Helena,  June  23, 1851. 

My  Lord, — I  have  the  honour  to  transmit  to  your  Lordship 
an  abstract  of  the  particulars  of  the  case  of  a  Brazilian  brig 
called  the  Magano,  adjudicated  in  the  Vice- Admiralty  Court 
of  this  colony,  on  the  5th  instant,  under  charge  of  being  engaged 
in  the  African  slave  trade. 

This  brig  was  seized  by  Commander  Tatham,  of  Her  Majesty's 
steam  sloop  "Geyser,"  on  the  11th  of  February  last,  within  a 
short  distance  from  the  harbour  of  Kio  de  Janeiro,  laden  with  a 
cargo  of  jerked  beef,  tallow,  hides,  grease,  and  hair.  She  was 
documented  with  apparently  regular  papers  for  a  voyage  from 
Rio  Grande  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  from  the  former  of  which  places 
she  appears  to  have  sailed  on  the  3rd  of  February  last,  and  to 
have  duly  prosecuted  the  voyage  till  she  was  detained  by  Com- 
mander Tatham.  The  vessel  was  brought  to  St.  Helena  by  Mr. 
Creak,  a  master's  assistant  of  the  "  Geyser,"  on  whose  affidavit 
the  usual  process  was  issued,  calling  upon  the  master  to  show 
cause  why  the  vessel  should  not  be  pronounced  to  have  been 
engaged  in  the  African  slave  trade,  on  the  return  whereof  a  claim 
was  put  in  by  the  master,  supported  by  his  affidavit,  in  denial  of 
the  charge.  Bancroft  Lib 

The  ciiuse  came  on  to  be  heard  on  the  29th  ultimo,  when  a 
technical  objection  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  authority  of  Com- 


228  APPENDIX. 

mander  Tatham  to  make  the  seizure  in  question,  was  raised  by 
the  claimant.  It  was  contended  that  Captain  Tatham's  authority, 
which  was  to  seize  Brazilian  vessels  engaged  in  the  slave  trade 
generally,  was  not  such  an  authority  as  was  contemplated  by  the 
Act  of  Parliament  of  the  8th  and  9th  Vict.  c.  122,  which  had 
reference  only  to  the  African  slave  trade  ;  "but  as  I  was  of 
opinion  that  all  the  requisites  of  the  Act  of  Parliament  had  been 
complied  with,  the  vessel  being  charged  with  being  engaged  in 
the  African  slave  trade,  and  seized  by  an  officer  acting  under 
an  authority  from  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty, 
the  objection  was  overruled.  The  main  question,  however,  in 
the  case,  was  the  equipment  of  the  vessel ;  the  captors  contending 
that  it  was  such  as  to  prove  the  vessel  to  have  been  engaged  in 
the  slave  trade.;  the  claimant  asserting  that  she  was  not 
equipped  in  any  other  manner  than  is  usual  in  vessels  engaged 
in  lawful  commerce.  The  evidence  in  the  case  consisted  of  the 
■affidavits  of  the  captor  and  claimant,  and  a  survey  of  the  vessel, 
which  took  place  in  consequence  of  the  conflicting  statements 
-contained  in  the  affidavits.  After  an  attentive  examination  of 
these  documents,  with  reference  to  the  charge,  and  the  affidavit 
of  the  prize  officer,  I  collected  that  the  vessel  was  equipped  and 
furnished  in  the  following  manner  :  she  had — 

A  Eortuguese  and  two  Brazilian  ensigns,  with  several  other 
flags : 

One  pair  of  shackles : 

Three  water-suckers : 

Eight  mess-kids : 

Two  iron  pots  for  cooking,  and  some  metal  pans  of  large 
capacity : 

About  a  cwt.  of  jerked  beef  in  the  cabin  : 

Three  tubs  of  great  size  : 

A  small  quantity  of  water  : 

Eleven  water  casks,  capable  of  containing  1000  gallons : 

Galley  large  enough  to  cook  for  500  persons : 

Two  hatchways : 


APPENDIX.  229 

A  door,  2  ft.  4  in.  square,  between  the  cabin  and  hold  : 

Two  double  bunks,  one  with  a  pantry,  the  other  with  a  locker, 
and  with  two  sleeping  berths  in  each  : 

Two  ports  or  scuttles  on  each  side. 

This  equipment,  with  an  alleged  inconsistency  in  some  of  the 
papers,  which  seemed  to  me  only  apparent,  formed  the  only  evi- 
dence in  support  of  the  case  of  the  captor.  On  the  other  side,  it 
was  said  that  the  vessel  was  a  lawful  trader,  prosecuting  a  lawfui 
voyage,  documented  with  every  regular  and  necessary  paper,  with 
a  mail  on  board,  and  a  cargo  composed  of  the  staple  articles  of 
commerce  between  Rio  Grande  and  Rio  de  Janeiro  ;  and  further, 
that  she  had  no  article  of  equipment  on  board  but  such  as  is 
usual  in  vessels  engaged  in  lawful  commerce. 

After  hearing  the  arguments  of  the  respective  proctors,  and 
taking  some  time  for  consideration,  I  was  of  opinion,  that  although 
the  equipment  of  the  vessel  was  of  a  most  suspicious  nature,  yet 
considering  its  incompleteness  for  the  accommodation,  ventila- 
tion, and  support  of  a  cargo  of  slaves,  with  the  apparently  regular 
proceedings  of  the  vessel  in  other  respects,  and  the  fact  of  the 
seizure  having  tiiken  place  almost,  if  not  quite,  within  sight  of 
her  destined  port,  that  it  was  not  sufficient  to  justify  me  in  pro- 
nouncing the  vessel  to  have  been  in  that  particular  voyage 
carrying  on  the  African  slave  trade,  in  conti-avention  to  the 
convention  between  Great  Britain  and  Brazil,  I  therefore  decreed 
a  restitution  of  the  vessel.  As,  however,  that  equipment  appeared 
to  me  to  have  been  sufficiently  suspicious  to  justify  the  seizuro 
by  Commander  Tatham,  I  decreed  that  restitution  to  be  made 
without  costs. 

The  judgment  which  I  have  pronounced  in  this  case  has  not 
been  satisfactory  to  either  of  the  parties.  Each  of  them  has 
asserted  an  appeal,  the  captor  against  the  restitution  of  the 
vessel,  the  claimant  against  that  part  of  it  which  deprives  him 
of  costs. — I  have,  &c., 

(Signed)        W.  WILDE, 

JCDOE  OF  THE  ViCE-AdMIBALTT  CoOKT. 


230  APPENDIX^ 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  CASE  OF  THE  BRIG  "  MAGANO.- 

Brazilian  Brig  Magano. 

Master,  Manuel  Gomes  de  Oliveira  Magano. 

Owners,  Joz6  dos  Santos  Magano  and  Liborio  Teixeira  Gouv6a. 

Crew,  by  crew  list  and  found  on  board,  twelve  persons. 

Sailed  from  Eio  Grande  on  the  3rd  of  February,  1851,  on  a 
voyage  to  Eio  de  Janeiro. 

Cargo,  jerked  beef,  tallow,  grease,  hides,  and  hair. 

Burthen  by  register,  220  tons  ;  new  British  measurement,  237J 
tons. 

The  following  papers  found  on  board  were  filed  in  court  by  the 
captor : — 

1.  Certificate  of  registry,  dated  at  Rio  Grande,  31st  May,  1850, 
endorsed  at  Pernambuco,  21st  August,  1850. 

2.  Manifest,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851. 

3.  Crew  list,  dated  Eio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851,  for  a  voy- 
age to  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

4.  Custom-house  certificate,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January, 
1851,  that  the  vessel  had  discharged  her  cargo  brought  from 
Pernambuco  on  the  8th  of  October,  1850. 

5.  Port  clearance,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851. 

6.  Passport  for  a  voyage  to  Rio  Grande,  dated  Pernambuco, 
20th  August,  1850. 

7.  A  letter  from  the  inspector  of  customs  at  Rio  Grande  to  the 
administrator  of  customs  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  enclosing  manifest 
and  custom-house  permits,  dated  28th  January,  1851. 

8.  Manifest,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851. 

9.  A  letter,  dated  Rio  Grande,  29th  January,  1851,  from  Joz6 
dos  Santos  Magano  to  Mello  and  Miranda  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  on 
business,  inclosing  also  the  book  of  cargo. 

10.  A  letter  from  the  inspector  of  customs  at  Rio  Grande, 
dated  28th  January  1851,  to  the  inspector  of  customs  at  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  inclosing  manifest. 

11.  Manifest  dated  Rio  Grande,  January  28,  1851, 


APPENDIX.  231 

12  to  22.  Eleven  custom-house  permits  to  embark  tlie  cargo 
mentioned  in  the  manifest. 

23  and  24.    Two  private  letters. 

25.  A  letter  of  instructions  from  Joz6  dos  Santos  Magano, 
dated  Eio  Grande,  3Uth  January,  1851,  to  Manuel  Gomes  de 
Oliveira  Magano. 

26.  A  private  letter  from  Joz6  dos  Santos  Magano,  dated  Bio 
Grande,  30th  January,  1851,  to  Francisco  Joz6  da  Cunha  Goes  at 
lao  de  Janeiro. 

27.  Passport  of  the  "J/c/^ano"  for  her  voyage  from  Rio 
Grande  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  dated  Porto  Alegro,  28th  January, 
1851,  signed  by  the  President  of  the  province  of  Rio  Grande. 

28.  An  account  of  stamp  duty  paid  on  the  freight  of  the  cargo, 
dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851. 

29.  A  certificate  from  the  Post-office,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th 
January,  1851,  that  the  vessel  has  a  mail  on  board. 

30.  Book  of  cargo,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January,  1851. 

31.  Eight  bills  of  lading  of  the  cargo  on  board. 

32.  A  letter  of  business  from  Joze  dos  Santos  Magano,  dated 
Rio  Grande,  30th  January,  1851,  to  Buxareo  Romaguei-a  and 
Co.,  at  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

33.  Custom-house  certificate,  dated  Rio  Grande,  28th  January, 
1851,  that  the  vessel  has  been  duly  cleared. 

Tlie  above  papers  were  attached  to  the  affidavit  of  Mr.  Creak, 
the  prize  officer. 

The  following  were  attached  to  the  affidavit  of  the  claimant : — 

1.  Log-book  for  the  voyage  from  Rio  Grande  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro. 

2.  Certificate  signed  by  Edward  Tatham,  Esquire,  commander 
of  her  Majesty's  steam  sloop  "  Geyser,"  respecting  the  seizure  of 
the  vessel. 

3.  List  of  the  cargo,  stores,  and  furniture  of  the  " MaganOf'^ 
signed  by  the  master  and  the  prize  officer. 

4.  A  sealed  letter,  addressed  to  Senhor  Don  Juan  Fries,  Rio 
de  Janeiro. 


232  APPENDIit. 

■  6.  A  letter  from  the  Argentine  consul-general  at  Brazil, 
dated  Eio  de  Janeiro,  1st  March,  1851,  to  Saul  Solomon,  Esquire, 
Brazilian  consul  at  St.  Helena,  relative  to  the  capture  of  the 
"  Magano^''  and  inclosing  the  following  documents,  viz  : — 

6.  A  protest  against  the  capture. 

.  7,  8,  and  9.  Three  invoices. 

10.  Bill  of  lading. 

11,  Chart. 

(Signed)        JOHN  N.  FIRMIN.  Registrar. 

COMMANDER  TATHAM  TO  REAR-ADMIRAL  REYNOLDS. 
Sir,--  I  beg  to  inform  you,  that  I  this  morning  fell  in  with 
a  beautiful  Brazilian  brig  (the  Magano),  recently  built  at 
Oporto,  constructed  for  the  slave  trade.  I  caused  a  minute 
search  to  be  made,  and  on  the  discovery  of  some  slave  shackles, 
added  to  the  general  fitting  of  the  vessel,  I  determined  to  send 
her  for  adjudication  to  St.  Helena  on  the  following  grounds  : — 

1.  Having  on  board  twelve  mess-tubs  or  kids,  not  required  for 
the  use  of  the  crew  of  the  vessel  as  a  merchant  vessel. 

2.  The  galley  and  cooking  apparatus  much  larger  than  requi- 
site for  the  use  of  the  crew,  and  three  small  boilers  (which  can 
\)e  used  for  cooking)  stowed  in  the  hold. 

3.  Slave  shackles  and  bolts,  found  also  below. 

4.  After  compartment  of  hold  (or  cabin)  of  large  dimensions, 
as  in  all  slave  vessels,  for  use  of  female  slaves. 

5.  The  main  hatchway,  also  much  larger  than  requisite  for  the 
purposes  of  ordinary  traffic,  extending  nearly  the  whole  length  of 
the  long  boat. 

6.  More  divisions  or  bulkheads  in  the  hold  than  are  necessary 
for  use  as  a  lawful  trader. 

This  vessel  is  no  doubt  one  of  that  squadron  I  referred  to  in 
my  letter  of  the  ultimo.  The  few  necessaries  to  complete  her 
may  have  been  conveyed,  as  is  often  the  case,  by  small  coasting 
yessels  off  Eio  de  Janeiro,  and  a  portion  of  her  present  cargo 
might  have  been  landed  by  th3  same  conveyance.         -  ■  * 


APPENDIX.  233 

Acting  on  the  spirit  of  the  Act  of  Parliament,  and  aware  of  the 
connivance  unfortunately  given  by  the  authorities  at  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  I  have  deemed  it  my  duty  to  send  this  vessel  over, 
though  her  papers  were  clearly  made  out  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  as 
was  the  case  in  the  capture  of  a  vessel  recently  by  her  Majesty's 
ship  bearing  your  flag,  off"  that  harbour,  cleared  out  for  Bahia.— 
I  have  &c., 

(Signed)        EDWARD  TATHASL 

KEMARRS  ON  THE  COAST  OP  BRAZIL. 

Captain  Kuper,  of  H.  M.  S.  Thetis,  writing  from  Bahia,  says:— 
"  In  compliance  with  your  instructions,  I  waited  on  the  president 
of  this  province,  accompanied  by  her  Majesty's  consul:  and 
liaving  introduced  the  subject  of  the  slave  barracoons,  I  was 
assured  by  his  excellency  that  there  was  nothing  whatever  going 
on  in  the  slave  trade  at  present  in  this  vicinity ;  that  the  barra- 
coons were  used  as  private  dwellings,  and  had  not  been  appro- 
priated as  slave  dep6t3  for  some  time  back.  His  excellency  also 
assured  me  that  he  was  doing,  and  should  continue  to  do,  every 
thing  in  his  power  to  suppress  the  slave  trade  altogether,  and 
that  he  considered  this  measure  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
future  welfare  of  his  country. 

"  It  is  unfortunate  that  the  slave-dealers  believe  that  the  Bra- 
zilian government  is  insincere  in  its  declarations  against  the 
slave  trade,  and  only  wait  till  our  men-of-war  are  withdx*awu, 
and  the  Brazilian  government  sunk  in  apathy.  When  the  act 
of  1831  was  passed,  the  slave  trade  sunk  into  perfect  stagnation 
for  some  months,  till  one  dealer  landed  a  cargo  with  impunity, 
which  led  to  an  immense  revival  of  the  traffic." 


OBSERVATIONS  ON   THE  BARRACOONS  BETWEEN  SANTOS  AND 
MARAMBYA. 

"  Gevseu,''  April  6,  1851. 

Mangaratiba, — The  juiz  municipal,  Dr.  Andrade  Pinto  (wh*- 


234  APPENDIX, 

received  me  with  great  civility,  and  asked  me  to  dine),  made  some 
strong  anti-slavery  observations  ;  among  others,  that  the  few 
well-known  capitalists  who  have  been  carrying  on  the  trade,  on 
detection  should  not  be  allowed  to  evade  justice  by  embarkation. 
The  captain  of  the  fort  was  very  attentive,  and  fruit  was  given  in 
abundance  to  the  boat's  crew. 

Alhroa  Bay. — Found  here  a  small  revenue  cutter.  The  com- 
mander stated  that  he  had  orders  to  prevent  the  transport  of 
slaves  by  canoes  ;  and  that  he  was  to  report  any  estate  on  which 
newly  imported  Africans  appeared. 

Dois  Rios, — This  once  fine  establishment  (Da  Cunha)  is  to  a 
certain  extent  in  decay:  about  200  slaves  are  at  work.  It 
is  now  entirely  a  cofiee  plantation.  The  barracoons  are  rather 
a  series  of  habitations,  which  may  be  applied  to  any  purpose  ; 
but  there  are  no  traces  of  fitting  for  vessels,  or  indeed  any  thing 
to  denote  its  notoriety  for  slaving,  but  the  seclusion  of  the 
anchorage,  and  the  facility  of  debarkation. 

Maramhya, — The  three  establishments  of  the  notorious  Breves, 
bear  no  appearance  of  wealth  but  the  quantity  of  land  under 
cultivation,  and  the  abundance  of  his  stock.  The  houses  are 
inferior,  and  the  blacks  are  quartered  in  detached  cottages. 
There  is  no  building  that  would  bear  the  name  of  a  barracoon. 
The  children  are  lodged  in  a  large  sort  of  kitchen  adjoining  the 
house.  It  appears,  as  soon  as  any  slaves  are  landed,  they  are 
dispersed  and  sent  round  in  canoes  to  the  different  estates  for 
sale. 

Somhrio. — This  is  the  clearest  and  most  decided  slave  depot 
(Coelho):  the  anchorage  could  hardly  be  improved.  Near  the 
water  side  are  the  remains  of  a  rigging-house  or  cooperage, 
recently  destroyed  by  fire  ;  quantities  of  iron  hoops  and  pieces 
of  chain  (ship's  furniture)  are  lying  on  the  rocks.  An  admirable 
-^'atering-place  has  troughs  to  convey  the  water  to  the  boats.  On 
an  eminence  stands  a  regular  coast-of- Africa  barracoon,  with  a 
detached  cook-house  ;  neither  have  been  recently  in  use,  but  both 
a^e  little  out  of  repair.    The  land  is  cultivated  with  an  unusual 


APPENDIX.  235 

quantity  of  bananas,  oranges,  and  mandioca,  apparently  for 
refreshing  the  imported  slaves.  At  present  only  two  slaves 
reside  in  a  cottage  near,  who  are  occasionally  relieved.  This 
barracoon,  and  indeed  the  whole  place,  ought  to  be  rendered  un- 
available, and  no  buildings  permitted  but  for  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  a  spot  better  adapted  for 
reviving  the  infamous  traffic,  at  present  so  checked-:-a  few  days' 
work  may  bring  it  into  active  operation. 


At  all  these  places  I  heard  much  complaint  of  the  damage  done 
to  the  coflfee  by  the  late  rains :  the  sugar  and  casaca  mills  are 
much  in  disuse,  and  many  totally  neglected ;  coffee  apparently 
being  more  productive. 

I  cannot  close  this  without  reporting  that  I  have  met  with 
good  feeling  and  hospitality  on  all  occasions :  and  from  commu- 
nications, and  my  own  observation,  I  am  of  opinion  no  landings 
have  been  effected  for  some  time,  and  that  none  are  expected. 

(Signed)        EDWARD  TATIIARf. 

Commander  Tatham,  writing  from  Itabapoama,  says  : — "  There 
cannot  be  a  doubt  of  the  present  zeal  of  the  police  authorities  on 
this  part  of  the  coast :  but  they  have  hitherto  considered  that 
tliey  were  also  to  receive  prize  money  (the  forty  milreis  promised 
for  each  slave  by  the  law  of  September,  1850).  Being  now  unde- 
ceived on  this  point,  a  doubt  may  exist  whether  all  the  authori- 
ties are  not  more  open  to  bribery.  If  the  Brazilian  government 
would  ensure  some  proportionate  reward  to  the  captors  and, 
informers  on  shore,  this  evil  would  be  less  probable." 

MB.  HUDSON  TO  VISCOUNT  PALMERSTON. 

Rio  de  Janeiko,  March  \5, 1851. 
Mt  Lord, —  I  have  the  honour  to  report  to  your  lordship  that 
the  notorious  slaver  TciUativa,  which  sailed  from  Eio  Janeiro 
in  the  month  of  May,  1850,  for  Havana,  sailed  thence  on  the  29th 


236  APPENDIX. 

July  for  Qulllimane,  which  port  she  left  in  December  last,  on  her 
return  to  Brazil,  with  nearly  700  slaves ;  arrived  off  Ilha  Grande 
in  this  province  on  the  14th  ultimo. 

Upon  approaching  the  coast,  her  master  descried  a  steamer, 
apparently  cruising,  and,  being  alarmed,  he  steered  for  Campos  ; 
arriving  there,  he  perceived  another  steamer  apparently  bearing 
down  upon  him,  upon  which,  not  knowing  for  what  port  to  steer, 
he  ran  the  Tentativa  ashore  near  Barra  Furado. 

The  crew  rose  upon  the  master,  demanding  three  contos  of  reis 
each  for  their  services.  The  Africans,  however,  were  landed,  and 
the  master  at  once  offered  them  for  sale  to  the  people,  who  had 
flocked  to  the  beach,  putting  them  up  at  200  milreis  a  piece  ; 
but,  finding  no  bidders,  he  gradually  lowered  his  price  to  twenty 
milreis,  at  which  price  a  few  purchasers  were  found.  But  the 
police  of  Macahe,  having  been  informed  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Tentativa,  appeared  upon  the  ground,  and  seized  the  master, 
his  crew,  and  the  Africans. 

Information  of  this  capture  reached  this  capital  on  the  21st 
ultimo  ;  and  as  it  was  notorious,  from  declarations  in  the  custom- 
house of  Rio,  that  Manoel  Pinto  da  Fonseca  was  the  consignee 
of  the  Tentativa,  that  slave-dealer  concealed  himself  in  a 
country  house  near  the  Botanical  Gardens  (about  seven  miles 
from  this  city)  during  the  21st,  22nd,  and  23rd  ultimo.  On  the 
24th  he  left  his  place  of  concealment  and  went  on  board  the 
French  packet  ship  Ville  de  Eio,  then  ready  to  sail  for  France. 

As  he  had  previously  taken  out  a  passport  for  Europe,  and  as. 
no  order  had  been  issued  for  his  arrest,  no  difficulty  occurred 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the  clearing  officer,  and  the 
Ville  de  Rio  sailed  on  her  voyage. 

The  Africans,  master,  and  crew  of  the  Tentativa,  arrived 
here  on  the  26th  ultimo,  and  the  master  and  crew  are  in  confine- 
ment, awaiting  their  trial. — I  have,  &c., 

(Signed)        JAMES  HUDSON. 


M'C0BQU0DAI.E  and  CO.,  PBIKTEBS,  LOMDON.— WOKKS,  NEWTON. 


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